Dino Super Charge: Roar Of The Ancients
by thunderyoshi
Summary: Sledge is gone, but the Energems still aren't safe. When a new threat rears its ugly head, the Rangers must work even harder to locate the Aqua and Silver Energems, and protect them from the countless beings who want to use them for evil. But they've never given up before, and they aren't about to start now.
1. When Evil Stirs

**So I couldn't wait, I just had to post this. I got excited, and I'm already about halfway through chapter 5. Plus, I'm away from my computer all weekend so thought now would be the best time to post this!  
**

 **I own nothing but original characters!**

 **I hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 1: When Evil Stirs

Music filled the air of the small practice room in use, with a young woman's singing mixing well with it. The girl who looked around 17 with long black hair tied back into pigtails played guitar as she sang, with a young man with dark hair playing bass, and a blond young man in sunglasses played the drums with vigor.

When the song ended, they took a breath, and the young woman lifted her water from the ground as her guitar hung around her chest.

"We're gonna dominate that competition," Ryan said confidently, stretching.

"I hear that," Jeremy grinned as he wiped the sweat off his face. Teddie didn't respond, in thought as her hand lingered at her chest, the other lowered to her side still holding the bottle. "Yo Ted, pass us the water," the drummer requested, and she snapped to attention, turning to him.

"Oh, sure," she grabbed him a bottle and tossed it to Jeremy, who caught it easily.

"What's up with you Teddie? You've been distant today," Ryan asked as Jeremy chugged the water. She glanced to him, letting her hand fall back to her side.

"Oh, I dunno," she shrugged. "Been feeling a little strange all day," she admitted, her mind wandering again as she looked away. Ryan glanced to Jeremy, who just shrugged, as clueless as he was. Teddie sighed, putting her water down as she thought about the events of the last few months.

It had been some time since the Dino Charge Power Rangers had defeated Sledge and recovered the Purple Energem. There'd still not been any sign of the destroyed ship, and Ari was dividing a lot of her time between searching for it, Mack, and helping to find the last two Energems.

While ten Energems had been found, the Aqua and Silver Energems were still undiscovered. While someone had bonded with the Aqua Energem, it didn't seem as if whoever had it was willing to show themselves anytime soon. Teddie was trying to help as well, but they hadn't made any progress whatsoever.

"Hey Teddie, don't you have to be at work soon too?" Jeremy asked, and Teddie snapped back to attention again.

"Oh man, Ms. Morgan will kill me if I'm late. We're so short staffed," she groaned, pulling off her guitar and returning it to its case. "I'll grab this later," she told them, lifting her jacket and helmet as the two watched her rush off.

"She never changes," Jeremy shook his head with a laugh. Ryan grinned in agreement.

* * *

The roar of an engine filled the streets of Amber Beach as the motorcycle rode through towards the museum. Leaning closer, Teddie sped as quickly as she was allowed, finally reaching the museum. Parking the bike at the back, she rushed through the museum towards the café, almost knocking someone over as she hurried past them.

"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, not stopping as she pulled off her helmet.

"Teddie, you barely made it," Kendall warned her as she saw the girl rush past.

"But I made it!" Teddie replied, taking a deep breath and setting the helmet down in the corner of the kitchen. "Sorry Ms. Morgan, I just lost track of time," she apologised.

"It's fine, just don't make it a habit, _again_ ," Kendall warned her. Teddie nodded, smiling thankfully at her boss and team-mate.

"Indeed, my lady," Ivan nodded from the grill. "Punctuality makes a fine warrior indeed," he told her.

"Tell that to mum. I heard she was late to her own wedding," Teddie smirked.

"I hear from others!" they glanced to Koda as he rushed in, holding several letters.

"Oh yay, how's my bro doing?" Teddie smiled, missing her twin brother, who had returned to Briarwood with Olivia to show her around the magical realm and have her train her water magic. They each looked over the letters, reading them aloud for Koda, who, while having progressed a great deal since he had been defrosted, still took a while when it came to reading.

"Sounds like they're having fun," Ivan smiled as they read Chase's letter, which was interrupted many times for Olivia to add in her own parts.

"I knew Gramps and Grandma would like her. She keeps Chase in order," Teddie laughed as they read about Olivia meeting the rest of their very odd family.

"She's gotten more lenient with him I found," Ivan commented as they moved onto Tyler's letter. The Red Ranger was continuing to search for his father, searching all over the country for the places mentioned in the journal, but still wasn't having any luck past the brief glimpse shortly before they'd lost the Purple Energem. With all that was going on, he hadn't had a chance to talk to Ari about it until after they'd defeated Sledge.

During the wishing fiasco, Tyler had wished to see his father again, and had done, right before Wish Star attacked the Red Ranger. By the time he and Shelby had chased him off, Mack had vanished again.

"Oh, one from Arianna," Ivan lifted the letter after finishing reading about Riley being back on his farm, reading it.

"Living it up with the Prince in Zandar," Teddie giggled. When the others had all departed to continue with their lives, Philip had invited Arianna to join him in Zandar to spend time together. "I don't know who has it worse, Arianna or Olivia for meeting the parents," she considered.

"Olivia isn't meeting the royal family of another planet to her," Kendall reminded her.

"Yeah, but my family is _really_ weird," Teddie argued with a shrug, lifting Shelby's letter. The Pink Ranger talked about studying business in university at her parents' request, and how she wasn't too sure it was for her.

"Imagine that. Shelby, studying to be a business woman," Ivan smiled.

"What is...business woman?" Koda frowned, confused.

"I have no idea," Ivan admitted. Kendall and Teddie exchanged amused grins.

"Order," one of the waitresses called, handing the docket to Ivan.

"Four Dino Burgers, three milkshakes, fries, fries and more fries!" he listed. "We simply cannot keep up!" he exclaimed, exhausted. They were down six workers, and the café was only getting busier.

"Don't worry, I'm about to interview a new waiter," Kendall assured with a calming smile.

"Thank god," Teddie sighed in relief. She followed Kendall out of the kitchen, giving the woman the letters from their friends. "Hey Ms. Morgan, I know we literally just said about being short staffed, but I was wondering if I could take a day off, go visit Spencer and Annie in New Tech?" she requested.

"What for?" Kendall asked her curiously.

"I wanna see how Spence is doing after the whole, y'know, head thing," Teddie tapped her head, and Kendall knew what she meant. Since they'd been forced to fight the Gold Ranger when Omni had taken hold again, Teddie had been particularly worried for her older brother, even though she knew he was getting help.

"He hasn't had any more instances of it happening," Kendall told her as she looked over the application form for the interviewee. "Took a punch from Jacob during training and didn't feel it surface," she added.

"Oh, been talking with Spencer, have we?" Teddie smirked, and Kendall felt her face start to warm. She'd forgotten who she was talking to about the young man.

"It was a minor conversation topic when discussing tracing the Energems," Kendall hissed at her, but Teddie didn't look convinced. "Can you go do some work, for once Teddie? And maybe put your helmet somewhere out of the way? I don't want Koda getting stuck again," she grumbled.

"Sure, sure, I'll go-" Teddie's eyes widened and she stopped abruptly at the table where Kendall was to have the interview. "You're that guy!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself, staring at the tall young man with bright blue eyes and a streak of blue through his hair.

"And you're that girl," he pointed back, a mischievous smile on his face. "I see you pay as much attention in the halls as on the road," he commented, and Teddie blushed as Kendall shot her a glare.

"I just...never got to thank you properly. For saving me," she shrugged at the young man.

"Oh, don't be silly. I just did what anyone else would have done," he smiled, and Teddie felt her blush grow.

"R-right. T-thank you!" she then rushed off, and Kendall arched her eyebrow before turning back to him.

"Teddie? Everything okay?" Koda asked as the girl rushed through the kitchen.

"Fine!" she squeaked, and Koda frowned as he watched her run into the freezer.

"Hmm, wonder what that was all about," Ivan commented, glancing up from the grill. "The last time I saw Teddie hide in the freezer was after she spilled a milkshake on Prince Philip," he remembered.

"That was an accident!" the White Ranger wailed from the walk-in freezer, still hearing him.

* * *

Olivia stumbled backwards, breathing heavily as the ground around her was soaked.

"I think we're done for now," Maddie smiled at her. Olivia nodded, grateful for the break.

"You've got potential, Olivia," Udonna smiled, having been watching the two train. Olivia blushed at the praise, and glanced around as Chase approached with Daggeron, Diana and Apollo.

"You coming? We're supposed to meet Uncle Joe in an hour," Chase grinned to her.

"Aw, boring!" Diana complained, walking over to Olivia and linking her arm through the Irish girl's. "I wanted to see some water magic training," she grumbled.

"Then you should have come earlier," Chase told her, unapologetic as he freed Olivia from Diana's grasp.

"How are you finding this all? I imagine it's a lot to take in," Daggeron asked the girl, who smiled back at him. She couldn't help but see the resemblance between the older knight, and Ivan, and it made her miss their friends even more.

"It's easy enough to grasp. After all, I've known Chase and Teddie for a while now," she grinned, and Chase rolled his eyes.

"I can see why Vida likes her," Udonna smiled in amusement.

"You're not funny. Let's go," Chase grumbled, taking her hand and pulling her along. Olivia grinned, thanking Maddie for the training before she was pulled away.

"I like her. She's tough and seems to handle herself well," Daggeron commented.

"Oh?" he glanced around as Althea approached with a grin. "Such a difference to disapproving of Xander," she teased him, and the man rolled his eyes.

"See where disapproving got us?" he sighed, but smiled softly, knowing that the Green Mystic had long since proven himself.

Emerging from the tree near to Rock Porium, Olivia looked around.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," she said as Chase followed her out.

"But you're used to everything else?" he asked, and she turned to him, resting her hands on her hips.

"There's a limit, you know," she pointed out, making him grin. "And I can only get used to so much so quickly. Be grateful my limit is so high," Olivia's stern look was ruined by the smile that spread across her face as he drew closer.

"Like you're totally normal," he replied, and cut off any retort with a kiss. "Now come on, before we're late," Chase told her, taking her hand again.

"Yeah yeah," Olivia rolled her eyes, before they heard a laugh behind them. Frowning, the pair looked around, and everything went dark.

* * *

"Come on Teddie, sword up," Ivan guided as he and Teddie practised after work.

"But I'm tired," she whined. Ivan gave her a stern look, and she sighed, doing as he instructed. They continued to train, with metal ringing out.

"That's odd," Kendall muttered to herself as she walked in, lowering her phone.

"What is?" Ivan asked as they looked around curiously, lowering their weapons.

"I got a message from Tyler, but it was cut off before he finished," Kendall explained, looking at them.

"I call Riley...and he not answer..." Koda walked over, holding up his phone as he looked worried.

"Hold your horses. You're being paranoid," Ivan told them, trying to keep his worry hidden as Teddie looked at him. "I'm sure that, you know, they're just fine," he insisted, but it did little to soothe their friends. "But then again, it wouldn't hurt to pay a little visit, right?" he then suggested.

"Right," Koda nodded.

"I'm calling Chase," Teddie grabbed her phone as they hurried out, leaving the Energems behind.

* * *

"Are you quite sure this is the place?" Ivan asked dubiously as they reached the outskirts of Amber Beach, where Tyler's phone signal had been traced to.

"Positive," Kendall nodded as they pulled up in the truck and climbed out.

"I couldn't reach Chase or Olivia," Teddie looked at her phone worriedly. "I'm really worried guys, it's not like them," she pointed out.

"Tyler!" Koda called out.

"We may cover more ground if we spread out," Ivan suggested, and the four nodded, splitting up.

"Ty!" Teddie called as she hurried through the forest, scanning her surroundings. She could only feel the presence of three others around her, and none were their leader. "Tyler, come on!" she pleaded, continuing to run.

"Over here!" hearing Kendall's voice, she ran to meet the others, and stopped, her eyes wide. "A monster did this," Kendall spoke softly as they stared at Tyler's jeep, which had been frozen in a massive block of ice.

"But Sledge was destroyed, wasn't he?" Ivan asked softly.

"But were his monsters?" Teddie asked in just as quiet a voice. The three exchanged nervous looks, before Teddie felt someone else approach. She glanced around, expecting it to be Koda, before gasping.

"Remember me?" before any of them could react, a cold cloud burst out around them, and everything went dark.

* * *

Ari walked into the base, humming to herself, and paused when she found that nobody else was around.

"Hello? Kendall? Koda?" she called out, but there was no response. "Teddie's bike was out back, she should be here," Ari murmured, walking over to the Energems. They shone as brightly as ever, and a bad feeling settled in her stomach. "Something's wrong. Really wrong," she murmured, before hearing the trapdoor open and someone slid inside.

Koda cried out as he tumbled to the ground, a thin layer of frost coating him as he clutched his stomach. "Koda!" he jumped, scrambling back. "Easy dude," Ari raised her hands, and Koda relaxed.

"Ari...there trouble, in fore-" Koda cried out in pain, and Ari knelt beside him, starting to glow. She touched his arm, and immediately he warmed up. The frost melted and dried off, and the pain from the attack faded, letting his muscles relax. Koda took a breath, settling down. "Thank you," he smiled, and she smiled back, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay Koda, what happened?" she asked him gently.

"Monster attack in forest. He got Kendall, Ivan and Teddie...maybe Tyler too," Koda explained, his eyes full of worry for his friends that he'd come to regard as family.

"Monster attack?" Ari blinked, surprised. "I guess some survived the crash," she sighed, shaking her head. "What about Shelby and Riley? And Chase and Olivia?" she asked him.

"Riley not answering," Koda shook his head. "And Teddie not able to reach Chase or Olivia," he added, and Ari helped him to his feet.

"Okay, you try calling Shelby," Ari told him, and he nodded, lifting his phone they'd managed to convince him to get. As he tried to call Shelby, Ari called Arianna, hoping that if someone was targeting the Rangers, they hadn't reached her and Philip in Zandar yet.

" _Hello_?" Arianna answered, and Ari breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey 'Anna. I'm sorry to ask, but..." Ari closed her eyes. "You and Philip haven't had any...problems, have you?" she asked, and Arianna paused.

" _What's going on Ari?_ " Arianna asked, knowing immediately something was wrong. Ari heard Philip talking softly in the background.

"How soon can you guys get back? I have a feeling we're going to need the Graphite Ranger soon," she glanced to Koda, who shook his head, unable to get hold of Shelby.

" _We'll be out as soon as we can. In the next few hours_ ," Arianna told her quickly.

"Great. And be careful. A monster's out and after the Rangers," Ari warned.

" _Thanks Ari_ ," Arianna spoke softly, before they ended the call. The doors suddenly slid open, and both Koda and Ari turned and fell into fighting stances quickly.

"Whoa, just us," Joe held up his hands, supporting Chase.

"Chase!" Koda rushed over and hugged the Black Ranger tightly.

"What happened?" Ari asked as she hurried over to heal her son, who laughed.

"I missed you too Koda," he told the caveman.

"I was going to meet Chase and Olivia, and saw them attacked by a monster," Joe explained as Chase sat down. "They were frozen solid, but Chase managed to break out," he glanced to Chase.

"I guess my magic?" he suggested. Joe hesitated, and Ari arched an eyebrow, seeing the movement.

"In any case, I was only able to get Chase away. The monster got Olivia," Joe continued with a heavy sigh, and Chase's hands clenched tightly.

"She's not the only one," Ari sighed. "Kendall, Ivan and Teddie got grabbed, Koda barely escaped," she shot Koda a worried glance. "We think Tyler, Riley and Shelby have been taken too, we haven't been able to reach them," she explained.

"What about Prince Philip?" Chase asked as Ari drew back from him, finished healing.

"On his way here with Arianna," Ari sighed, before they heard the trapdoor open above. Chase stood, and the group got ready to fight whoever had arrived.

Tyler suddenly slid into view, landing and dropping his backpack down. Koda let out a happy shout, rushing over and hauling him into the air in a tight hug.

"Koda...good to see you too..." Tyler laughed as Koda whirled around. "Chase? You're back?" he blinked in surprise as Koda set him down.

"Good to see you mate," Chase clapped his hand to his.

"Where's everyone else?" Tyler asked, realising that the other three who should have been there were gone.

"We go look for you. But monster attack...we not have Energem," Koda put a hand to his chest, reminding Tyler that despite his strength, Koda was no match for a monster. "They take Kendall, Teddie and Ivan away in big ice..." Koda looked away.

"It was Ice Age. He almost got me too," Tyler told him.

"Ice Age?" Ari frowned.

"We need to contact Shelby or Riley, or Philip!" Tyler told them.

"Shelby and Riley aren't answering," he paused at Ari's words. "I think they've been grabbed too," she sighed.

"It all my fault," Koda looked away sadly. He sat down, looking at his hands.

"Koda, what happened out there?" Chase asked him carefully as he and Tyler sat down with him.

"I tried to fight against ice...but it bring back many scary memories...from long time ago," Koda admitted, and Ari sighed, taking a seat beside him.

"Then when we picked up a weak reading of an Energem, we checked it out and found Koda frozen in ice," she put a hand on his arm, smiling. "Kendall made a Dino Blaze Charger, with a little magic from me, but don't tell her," Ari winked, making them smile in amusement as Joe rolled his eyes, chuckling. "But understandably, things were pretty disconcerting for Koda after 10,000 years," she added.

"Today, ice come up my arms, want to catch me again!" Koda stood up quickly, his voice trembling with fear. "But I escape ice...then I run away," he admitted guiltily.

"You escaped the ice?" Tyler asked him curiously.

"I'm so sorry, I should have found way to save the others," Koda murmured.

"Mate, you don't have to apologise," Chase told him as he walked over. "After all, I left Oli behind too. I couldn't save her," he glanced down, and sighed, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault. They'll survive being frozen, we just need to save them," he grinned. Koda managed a weak smile back. The alarm suddenly blared, and Ari went over to the computer.

"What is happening?" Koda asked.

"It's Ice Age. He's in the city," Ari looked up at them.

"I have an idea," Tyler announced, and looked at Koda apologetically. "But we're going to have to be frozen," he admitted.

"Freeze in ice? Oh, no, no," Koda refused quickly, his fear overwhelming. "I can't," he turned and walked away.

"I think it's the only way we can save them," Tyler explained as Ari glanced to Chase, who was looking at his hands, confused. Joe was watching him as well, arms folded.

"Koda," Chase dropped his hands to his sides and approached the scared caveman. "You're the bravest of all of us. And the other Rangers, our friends, they need you right now," he told him as Koda stared back with big dark eyes.

"Before we face that monster again, you're going to teach us exactly how you escaped from that ice today," Tyler smiled confidently. Koda glanced from him, to Chase, who grinned back.

"Okay Joe," Ari spoke as they watched the three hurry out to fight Ice Age, bringing their Energems with them. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked her brother. The tall blond man ran a hand through his hair as the doors slid shut.

"When I saw Chase and Olivia being frozen by that monster, I went to use my magic. But Chase broke through the ice like it'd melted, and all I could do was get him away so we could get here for help," Joe started, and met Ari's gaze. "Ari, he was glowing when he broke free," Ari's eyes went wide.

"That's impossible," she shook her head. "Chase and Teddie have never been able to glow," Ari reminded him. Joe shrugged.

"I'm just telling you what I saw," he said, and she sighed.

"Thanks, Joe, for getting him here," she hugged her brother, who smiled back.

"No problem," he hugged her tightly.

* * *

Running through the city, the three male Rangers hurried to the co-ordinates Ari had give them.

"Looking for your friends? Well, you've found your doom!" Ice Age laughed as they stopped in front of him, finding that he'd brought along a group of Vivix as well.

"Ready?" Tyler asked, and the other two nodded.

"Ready," Chase nodded.

"Ready..." Koda swallowed, before a determined look shone in his eyes. "To save my friends," he nodded.

"ENERGISE!" the three yelled, running at Ice Age as they Morphed.

"Freeze!" the monster cackled as the Rangers ran into a cloud of ice, and froze solid.

"I always knew you Rangers were blockheads," Ice Age taunted with glee. He laughed, ordering the Vivix to take them away.

"I hope this works," Chase murmured as they watched from a safe distance.

* * *

Teddie stumbled, crying out in alarm as everything turned bright again, and she was freed. Once she'd regained her balance, she found that Riley, Shelby, Kendall, Olivia and Ivan were standing with her, looking just as disorientated.

"What...?" Teddie frowned.

"What happened?" Riley asked, confused as Koda ran over and hugged them tightly.

"Oli!" Olivia let out a startled gasp as Chase lifted her into the air in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you," he apologised.

"Uh...what's going on?" she asked him as he set her down and kissed her.

"Gross!" Teddie yelled.

"Looks like we're gonna need these again," Tyler grinned, and the Rangers took their Energems from them.

"The Energems!" they looked around quickly as they heard a growl. "The key to my past, present and future!" a monster growled with laughter. More menacing looking than Ice Age, he was also powerful, sending a shiver down Teddie's spine. Parts of him glowed a bright blue, and he held a long sword in his hand.

"Who is that?" Chase wondered.

"I'm Snide. Get their Energems!" the monster ordered Ice Age.

"Yes sir! Time to ice them and dice them!" he nodded, walking towards the Rangers.

"This'll be the last time you hear these words," Kendall called as she walked forwards. "It's Morphin' Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!"

"Power Rangers..."

"Dino Charge!"

"Vivix, rise! Attack!" Ice Age called on the footsoliders.

"Dino Steel, Armour On!" the Rangers summoned their weapons. The Rangers easily fought them off, laughing at the familiar power that they'd all missed.

"I'll get the Energems myself!" Snide decided, running at Tyler. The Red Ranger looked around, eyes wide, before Snide's sword was deflected by Teddie's.

"You'll never get our Energems!" she fought him off, pushing him away from the others. "No matter how hard you try, we'll always win!" Teddie declared. Snide laughed, shoving her sword to the side.

"Try my hardest? How about I do that right now?" he asked her, pushing harder. Teddie countered, but was forced onto the defensive, and was unable to push back as he dictated their fight. She cried out as her sword was thrown aside, and he cut down her front, throwing her to the ground. "Don't worry about your racing heart, Ranger. In a moment, it won't be beating at all!" Snide laughed as he stood over her. However, blue light began to shine on his neck, and he snarled in pain.

"What?" Teddie frowned, feeling a surge of energy in the air. He turned suddenly, running off.

"Not now!" he growled, and Teddie watched as he ran away from the fight. There was a burst of energy, but before she could follow it, Riley was helping her up.

"You okay?" he asked her, and she nodded.

"Yeah," Teddie then shook her head. "Let's go finish this," she grinned, and the two joined the others as Ice Age called on an ice attack.

"Energise! Dino Morpher Blast!" Kendall fired a powerful attack.

"That doesn't sound cool!" the monster wailed, and screamed as the attack hit him.

"Dino Charger, ready! Weapons combine!" the Rangers formed the Dino Spike.

"Allow me to lend a hand! Lightning Final Strike!" Ivan used his own powerful move.

"Red Ranger Launch!" Tyler leapt into the air and caught the Dino Spike as it flew past, allowing him to slam into Ice Age. Ice Age wailed, and exploded, destroyed. However, a moment later, he reappeared, growing much larger.

"No!" Olivia put her hands to her mouth.

"How does their Magna Beam still work?" Teddie wondered.

"Dino Charger, ready! Summon Zords!" the Rangers summoned the Plesio and Pachy Zords, combining them into a Megazord.

"Dino Drive, Activate!"

"Let's send this ice pop packing!" Tyler cheered as Ice Age called on some Vivizords.

"Let's take Megazord for a spin!" Koda suggested.

"Pachy Zord Wrecking Ball!" the powerful mace destroyed the two monsters in one hit, making Ice Age yelp in fear, backing away. Summoning the T-Rex Zord, Tyler allowed it to combine with their Megazord as well.

"Let's finish him!" the Rangers cheered.

"How? You're outnumbered!" Ice Age called on more help.

"Together," Tyler glanced to his team. "T-Rex Blast!" the mouth of the T-Rex opened, and fired a powerful fireball that destroyed the monsters Ice Age was using as a shield. "We're not done yet," Tyler smirked.

"Three...two...one...Galactic Blast!" they fired the attack, and Ice Age cried out in horror as the purple attack smashed through him. The Rangers cheered, celebrating another victory.

* * *

"Home sweet home," Chase smiled as he walked into the base, letting his Energem fly to the Crystal Bed.

"Man, this sure beats cleaning pig pens," Riley sighed happily.

"Dude, if that's the case then you can cover my shifts upstairs," Teddie sighed as she walked past him, exhausted. "Three of us isn't enough to handle those customers," she complained.

"I really missed you guys while I was away," Tyler admitted as the others followed them in.

"I really missed you too," Shelby told him, before freezing as he glanced at her, smiling obliviously as the others smirked. "I mean...everyone," she clarified. Teddie snorted as Ari grinned in amusement to Joe, who chuckled as well.

"As subtle as you and Xander used to be," Ari immediately punched her brother, who started laughing.

"Koda," Kendall called to the Blue Ranger, who turned to her with a smile. "I remember when we rescued you from the glacier, you were very afraid of ice," she commented, and Koda glanced away. She put a hand on his arm, smiling. "Thank you for being so brave today," Kendall said, and Koda shrugged.

"I thought my biggest fear was ice...but..." Koda sighed. "My biggest fear...is losing my new family," he admitted. They smiled softly, touched by his words. He then suddenly hugged Kendall, who was taken aback by the action, but let it happen.

"Guys! Are you...oh..." Arianna stopped in the doorway, and sagged. "I told you we'd miss it," she grumbled to Philip as he caught up to her.

"We came as soon as we could. I apologise for the delay," he bowed his head to the Rangers, who smiled back.

"Arianna!" Teddie threw herself at the Mercurian for a tight hug, and Arianna tripped, falling over with a cry as Teddie laughed.

"Huh. Wonder who she's just like," Joe murmured to Ari.

"I will punch you again," the woman threatened, making him grin.

"Welcome back, Rangers," they all looked around as Keeper appeared. "I was hoping you wouldn't be needed again, but duty calls," he told them, and they nodded.

"Rangers," Kendall spoke up, walking over to the Crystal Beds. "We now have Ten of the Twelve Energems," she reminded them.

"We know someone found and bonded to the Aqua Energem, because the Ankylo Zord is awake," Shelby added in.

"Correct, my lady. We need to find that elusive Aqua Ranger," Ivan nodded.

"We did have a reading briefly in town a little while ago, right before Sledge attacked," Ari spoke up. "But after that, they vanished again," she shook her head. "But it doesn't mean we can stop looking for them," she said.

"And the Silver Energem. The twelfth and last Energem," Philip included.

"And once we do, I'll be able to continue my duties as the guardian of the Energems," Keeper announced. "We must not fail," he looked to the Rangers, who nodded.

"We do have a new bad guy to worry about," Teddie folded her arms. "Snide...he's powerful. And there's a lot of energy there...there's something weird about him," she shook her head.

"He gave me the creeps," Chase muttered. Ari frowned, reminded of a dark energy on Sledge's ship that she'd felt coming from one of the cells. She'd not felt fear like it in a long time.

"We've got a lot of work to do then. Let's get busy," Kendall smiled confidently.

* * *

 **The Rangers are back to action!**

 **So we'll be having some pretty big changes to Super Charge, more than usual, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Please review!**


	2. Hidden Strength

**Trying to get back into FF14 as I'm a little burned out on Overwatch, and I've injured my wrist so typing isn't very easy at the moment, so I thought I'd update now!  
**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Hidden Strength

Arianna smiled at the table of five as she served them, checking they'd received everything they'd ordered. She then turned to a table of two girls, lifting her booklet.

"What can I get you?" she asked the two, who were looking at her curiously.

"Your eyes are super pretty," one of them said, taking Arianna by surprise.

"Oh, um...thanks?" the Mercurian tried weakly, her cheeks warming. She wasn't very used to compliments, especially from strangers.

"I always wanted blue eyes, but yours are almost silver. That must be like, super rare," the girl sighed enviously. Arianna laughed awkwardly.

"I think all shades of eye colours are pretty," she shrugged, smiling at the pair. "What would you like to order?" she asked, getting back on topic, and the two girls ordered. As soon as she walked away, Arianna heard them start to talk, not bothering to keep their voices down.

"There's no way it's her," the second girl said with a snort.

"No-one else has eyes that colour," the girl who'd talked to Arianna spoke. "It's got to be her," she insisted. "For the Prince of Zandar to be dating a _waitress_ of all people," Arianna froze, her heart slamming against her chest. "I wouldn't have thought he'd have such low standards," she giggled, flicking her hair over her shoulder, and tears burned at Arianna's eyes.

"He has been doing a bunch of charity work lately," her friend smirked, shrugging. "I guess this is just another-" whatever she was going to say next was cut off as the pair started screaming loudly. Arianna whirled around to see Teddie behind the two girls, and milkshake dripping from their hair and clothes.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" the White Ranger exclaimed with such flawless acting that Arianna almost bought it. "I'm such a klutz, I'll get you a towel!"

"Don't bother!" the first girl snapped at her furiously. "We're leaving this dump!" she screeched. The pair stormed off, and the moment they'd disappeared, a wicked smirk spread across Teddie's face.

"Good riddance," she muttered.

" _Teddie_!" her smirk was gone at Kendall's furious growl. "Kitchen. _Now_ ," she ordered. With a sigh and roll of her eyes, Teddie obeyed as the rest of the customers looked around curiously. Arianna ran off, and a quick glance from Teddie to Olivia had the Forest Ranger follow her.

"Yes?" Teddie asked innocently when she walked into the kitchen.

"Don't act innocent with me Teddie," Kendall fumed. "I know you spilled those drinks on them on purpose," she accused Teddie.

"Why on Earth would you do such a thing?" Ivan looked aghast. Teddie's innocent look changed to a much more stubborn one.

"They were talking about Arianna. Not nice things," she told them, unapologetic. Kendall sighed heavily.

"She's been in magazines recently, pictures of her and Prince Philip," Shelby spoke up, looking uncomfortable. "She's pretty recognisable, and a lot of girls are kinda jealous," she told them. Teddie nodded, having heard the rumours herself.

"How could anyone be mean? Arianna sweet," Koda frowned. The others agreed; all of them attached to the sweet Mercurian girl who loved helping people.

"Some people are petty and cruel, and jealousy makes people even crueller," Tyler sighed.

"I'm not sorry for what I did," Teddie shook her head. "They deserved it," she told Kendall, who sighed.

"That's not the point," she told the White Ranger. "You can't just go around spilling drinks on every mean customer. They'll get over this rumour eventually," she scolded Teddie, who didn't even blink. Kendall sighed again, knowing how fiercely loyal Teddie was to her friends. "You're paying for those drinks. Now go clean it up. And next time it happens, tell me instead of taking vengeance into your own hands," she ordered.

"Yes, Ms. Morgan," Teddie nodded, and the boss walked off. Lifting the cleaning supplies and the mop, Teddie left the kitchen and almost walked into Heckyl, the newest waiter and the one who had saved Teddie.

"You have some impressive acting skills," he complimented, and Teddie blushed, unable to stop herself from getting flustered around him. "Though perhaps leave the smile until you're sure you're alone? That may have alerted Ms. Morgan to your true intentions," Heckyl advised, looking amused. Teddie's blush grew.

"Thanks for the tip," she said, making him chuckle.

"Well you never know when you'll need it again," he commented. Teddie arched an eyebrow at him.

"Are you suggesting I do that more often?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"What?" Heckyl looked shocked by her accusation. "I would never do such a thing," he denied, before winking at her. Teddie couldn't stop her giggle, putting her hands to her mouth.

"Don't encourage her. She really doesn't need it," Chase told Heckyl as he passed the two. Teddie stuck out her tongue at the Black Ranger's back, and pulled an innocent face the moment Chase looked around. "Better get cleaning," he told her with an amused grin. Teddie groaned and went to clean up the milkshake spill as Heckyl watched her, smirking very slightly.

* * *

"It does seem like the Gems we had could have absorbed power from these Energems," Doctor Oliver agreed as he studied the Purple Energem curiously.

"Yeah...that makes no sense to me," Connor shook his head as he lifted his Red Dino Gem, which was sitting on the table in front of them.

"He's saying that the Energems gave the Dino Gems their power," Kira rolled her eyes.

"How?" Connor questioned.

"If we knew that, we wouldn't be studying them right now," Ari sighed, reaching out and lifting her own Dino Gem. As she did, a faint shimmer emitted from it, and they all looked from it, to the Purple Energem in Tommy's hand. "Uh..." she arched an eyebrow.

"Well, you did theorise that some of the Purple Energem power went into your Dino Gem, considering its link to the Plesio," Tommy commented, taking the Gold Dino Gem from Ari. Immediately the shining faded.

"Yeah, well I'm still confused," Connor declared.

"What else is new?" Ethan teased.

"I'm clueless too," Trent admitted, and Connor shot Ethan a victorious smirk. The former Blue Ranger rolled his eyes with an amused grin. Hearing the doors open, they saw Arianna rush in, tears in her eyes, followed by Olivia, and the two stopped.

"Oh, um..." Arianna's voice quivered as they saw the group of former Rangers sitting together at the table.

"I'm starved guys, let's get some food," Kira announced, getting to her feet. She kicked Connor, who yelped.

"Come on! I was about to get up!" he complained as the group quickly shuffled off, leaving Ari, Arianna, and Olivia together.

"What happened?" Ari asked softly as she indicated for the two to take a seat. Olivia's gaze was immediately drawn to the six gems on the table, that reminded her of her Forest Energem.

"I..." Arianna sat down, her eyes on the Dino Gems as well. "It's..." she hesitated, and looked up at Ari, who was watching her patiently, a look of worry on her face. Olivia looked concerned as well, but neither pushed her to speak. "Those girls...what they said," she swallowed, closing her eyes. Ari looked to Olivia, who sighed.

"Two girls in the restaurant recognised Arianna from a magazine," she spoke softly.

"Ah," Ari needed no more explanation, knowing exactly why the young Mercurian was showing up in magazines. "'Anna, I know it's rough hearing others talking about you, but-"

"What if they're right?" Ari stopped at Arianna's shaky whisper. She opened her silvery eyes and looked from Ari, to Olivia, both looking surprised. "What _is_ Philip doing with me? An alien with no nobility. A waitress..." the tears started to spill down her face. "A _nobody_..." she put her hands to her face.

"That's not the first time you heard someone say that, is it?" Ari realised. Arianna shook her head as her shoulders shook from sobs.

"His...his dad...and...and brother," she managed to say. "His dad _hates_ me," Arianna cried.

"What? How could he hate you?" Olivia questioned in disbelief. She couldn't understand how anyone could dislike Arianna.

"Because I'm not good enough!" Arianna choked as Ari pulled her close. "How could I be?" she questioned.

"Are you crazy?" Olivia's demand made her look up at the Forest Ranger, who was staring incredulously at her. "You're awesome! You're not a nobody. You're training to become an _Intergalactic Emergency Responder_. That's incredible," the Irish girl told her firmly.

"But I..." Arianna sniffed, pulling back from Ari and rubbing her eyes. "I can't...get in the way between Philip and his dad like that..." she shook her head.

"My dad disapproved of Xander," the pair looked at Ari in surprise. "Actually, both my dads did," she chuckled, thinking back to it. "But my birth father, he really didn't like the idea of me being with Xander," she told them.

"Why?" Olivia asked curiously. The man clearly adored Ari from what she'd seen. They were close, closer than she could remember her parents ever being.

"Because he was a charmer, always flirting with the ladies, and couldn't focus to save his life," Olivia couldn't help but laugh as they found this very familiar. "He didn't take his studies seriously, and they clashed from the moment they met. Daggeron was always very stern and straight-laced. And my adoptive dad...well, he'd known Xander since we were little kids. Both he and Daggeron doubted that he was a good fit for me, that I'd end up hurt," Ari shrugged.

"And he stayed?" Arianna asked softly.

"Course he did," Ari chuckled. "My dads weren't the ones dating him, _I_ was," she poked Arianna's nose, making her smile softly. "It was tough, yeah, but Althea gave him a chance, and if there's one person you don't challenge, it's my mum. Xander eventually proved himself to the pair, because he always had my back, and me his," she stood up, and patted Arianna's head. "Give it time, and don't give up. If you care about Philip, then what others think shouldn't matter," she told her, and Arianna nodded, smiling weakly.

"Right," she agreed. The alarm suddenly blared behind them, and they glanced around. Ari walked over, starting up the computer.

"Alien signatures in town. Better head out Oli, I'll give the others a heads up," Ari glanced to the Forest Ranger, who nodded and hurried out.

* * *

"Let's go guys!" Tyler called as the Rangers spotted the Vivix in the middle of the city square, harassing terrified civilians.

"You idiots just never learn!" Teddie danced into the middle of a group, and kicked out with one foot as she punched another. She then grabbed another by the arm and flipped it, before tossing it into another.

"They're not exactly the smartest bunch," Ivan pointed out as he easily fought off another group.

"Or the strongest!" Tyler smirked, punching one hard. With his enhanced strength, the monster went flying through the air, landing several feet away.

"You say that, but your strength is a little..." Philip paused.

"Unnatural," Olivia smirked.

"Hey!" Tyler frowned at the pair.

"They're not wrong," Chase commented as he shot down the Vivix rushing him. Tyler shot him a frown.

"Maybe, but Olivia's kind of a hypocrite now," Shelby spoke up. Olivia just shrugged, unapologetic. "And Chase, you _really_ can't talk," she added. The Rangers just laughed, before a light suddenly struck the Pink Ranger. She let out a cry, and disappeared in a flash of red light.

"Shelby!" Tyler yelled in horror, seeing her vanish. Hearing a laugh, they saw a monster standing nearby, a blaster in his hand. It resembled a sniper rifle, while the alien had a scope connected to one eye. "What did you do to her?!" the Red Ranger demanded furiously, taking out the last of the Vivix.

"She's trapped, in my own personal dimension," the monster laughed, patting a tub that hung from his belt. It shimmered pink in response. "Don't worry, you'll be joining her soon enough!" he taunted, and fired a blast suddenly. Tyler dove out of the way, and it clipped a chair, causing it to vanish.

"Be careful guys," Tyler warned as they stood together.

"Yes, make yourselves easier targets!" Spyglass taunted them, firing a shot suddenly. The Rangers scattered quickly, forced to keep moving.

"This isn't good!" Olivia gulped as she rolled to avoid a shot that would have hit her head.

"No kidding!" Riley deflected a shot with his sword, before another hit Kendall. The Purple Ranger vanished with a cry, and Koda went next when he was distracted.

"Enough!" Teddie hurled an energy ball at him, but Spyglass shot through it and caused it to explode.

"You're no fun at all!" he complained, shooting Ivan and Riley when the two rushed him. The Gold and Green Rangers vanished. "At least make this a challenge!" the alien whined at them, firing a shot at Philip. Chase moved between them, and the attack bounced off his shield, narrowly missing Spyglass and making him yelp.

"Thank you," Philip nodded to the Black Ranger.

"No worries mate," Chase grinned back to him, and lifted his blaster. He fired a shot that clipped the alien, making him shriek in pain.

"Okay, this is getting interesting!" Spyglass declared, and ran at the remaining Rangers. Tyler punched him from behind, the force throwing the alien to the ground, and as he pushed himself back up, Teddie threw more Energy Balls at him.

"We need to get that gun off him, otherwise we're sitting ducks when we Morph," Tyler told his team, who nodded. "Chase, keep that shield up. It's the only thing keeping us safe," he said to Chase, who nodded.

"I'll sneak up on him," Teddie volunteered. "He can't hit me if he doesn't notice me, and I can get that gun off him," she said to their leader. Tyler hesitated, worried, before sighing.

"It's the best plan we've got. Be careful," he told her. Teddie just winked and slipped away, vanishing as Spyglass giggled to himself.

"I'll get my freedom for this! Wonder what to do first?" he wondered to himself.

"He's distracted, let's take him out," Tyler told his team, and they grabbed their blasters. Chase dropped the shield long enough for them to fire, and Spyglass let out a startled yell. He fired multiple shots, cutting through the attacks. His attacks bounced off the golden shield again, and as they flew back at the alien, he dodged with a shout of alarm, and one clipped Teddie as she went for him. Her eyes widened before she vanished in a flash of red.

"Teddie!" Chase yelled, and his shield shimmered as if it was starting to fade.

"Chase, we'll get her back," Olivia touched his arm to try and soothe him.

"How? We can't even get close!" Chase shook his head, and flinched when Olivia punched his arm. "Hey!" he protested as his shield shimmered again.

"We can't give up now," Philip told him as Chase frowned at Olivia, who scowled back.

"He's right," Olivia nodded.

"We need to come up with a plan guys," Tyler told them. "We need to Morph," he added, knowing that without their suits, they were a lot worse off.

"No way!" Spyglass suddenly ran at them, growing bored of waiting. With a powerful punch, he broke through Chase's shield and the Rangers were forced to move out of his way.

"Enough!" Tyler punched the alien, who cried out as he was tossed through the air.

"You got me!" he wailed, before laughing. "Or did I get you?" Spyglass shot Tyler, who barely managed to dodge it. The Red Ranger then turned invisible, and Spyglass landed on his feet. "Oh, now that's interesting!" he laughed.

"You can't hit what you can't see!" Tyler punched him again, and Chase shot him with his blaster again. "Let's go Rangers!" Tyler yelled, grabbing his Charger. "It's Morphin' Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the four remaining Rangers Morphed as Spyglass got back to his feet.

"Morphed or unmorphed, you're still coming with me!" Spyglass shrieked, running at them again. The four Rangers fought back fiercely, dodging shots the monster fired.

"Up close, your sniping skills are useless!" Chase mocked as he kicked the monster in the gut. The monster stumbled back, and chuckled.

"Then I'll just have to swap!" his blaster started to change, until it was a much smaller weapon, and shot it. The red blast connected with Chase's stomach, making the Black Ranger cry out and vanish.

"Chase!" Olivia cried out in horror, and was pulled aside by Philip to avoid being hit too.

"You'll never stop me, not with my flawless aim!" Spyglass taunted them, and Tyler vanished again.

"Try hitting me then!" he goaded, punching the monster who stumbled backwards.

"I love a challenge!" Spyglass laughed, firing wildly all around him. The Graphite and Forest Rangers were forced back as they tried to avoid the random hits, before Tyler suddenly let out a yell, reappearing before he disappeared in a red light. "Just two left!" he laughed.

"We need to stop him," Philip frowned.

"But _how_?" Olivia asked helplessly. Their dino comms then beeped loudly, and Olivia grabbed it.

' _Get back to base_ ,' Ari told them firmly, and the two nodded.

"Good luck escaping!" Spyglass aimed his sniper at them again, and Olivia raised her hands. Water exploded out, poorly controlled, but hit the monster and threw him to the ground.

"Let's go," she told Philip, and the pair ran off.

* * *

"That was brutal," Olivia gulped as the two reached the base again.

"You can say that again," Philip sighed as he rubbed his shoulder.

"It certainly looked it," Ari nodded from where she sat with others.

"Hang on, the _Prince_ of Zandar is a Ranger?" Kira arched her eyebrow.

"Did I forget to say that?" Ari asked mildly, watching the footage of the battle over again.

"Pardon me, but who..."

"Kira Ford!" Olivia put her hands to her mouth. "I didn't even realise earlier," she gasped. Kira gave a small, amused smile.

"Connor McKnight, Ethan James, Kira and Trent Mercer, and Doctor Tommy Oliver," Ari introduced the group. "They were the Dino Thunder Rangers," she explained to the pair. The two remaining Rangers stared at them, recognising them for their successes. "But what matters right now, is how you two are going to stop Spyglass, and get the others back," Ari looked up at the two, who looked at each other. "What's wrong?" she asked patiently.

"We can't even touch him," Olivia shrugged.

"Every attempt is cut down. His weapon is too powerful," Philip commented softly.

"So you're giving up?" they looked at Arianna, who was sitting nearby as well, her head tilted. "What about the others? Are you going to leave them?" she asked innocently.

"No!" Olivia shook her head firmly. "It's just..."

"It is alright to be afraid," Keeper commented as he appeared nearby.

"So glad our mentor was our science teacher," Connor whispered, and the others stifled their giggles as Tommy rolled his eyes in amusement.

"We've been Rangers for a while, and we took down Sledge," Olivia shrugged, looking upset.

"We shouldn't be afraid any more," Philip agreed.

"That's not true," they looked at Tommy as he spoke up, leaning back in his chair, adjusting his glasses. "You can do this one time or five times, you can still be afraid of what the enemy can do," he told them, and grinned. "Trust me on this. What matters is that you have the courage to fight despite those fears," he said.

"Oh, they're getting Doctor O'd," Connor whispered, and Tommy rolled his eyes as his former students giggled.

"How did I put up with you guys in my class for a year?" he questioned.

"They're right. We need to get back out there," Philip nodded, looking thoughtful.

"I don't know if we're going to be strong enough to defeat him," Olivia pointed out. "No offence, it's just-"

"That pouch he carries," Philip's eyes lit up. "That's where he's keeping the others. If we can get it back, we should be able to free them," he suggested. Olivia nodded, thoughtful.

"But how can you get close enough to get it from him?" Arianna asked the pair, her head tilted.

"I can distract him with my magic," Olivia decided, looking at her hands. "It's not perfect, but I can land a hit," she declared.

"Sounds like a good plan guys," Ari gave a thumbs up. "Now get back out there and kick its butt," the two nodded and recalled their Energems, hurrying back out.

"Ah, memories," Connor smiled nostalgically.

"Must be tough though, seeing Teddie and Chase doing it," Tommy commented as he looked to Ari.

"Yeah, I can't even begin to imagine Ryan fighting the monsters we fought," Trent admitted. Ari smiled softly, glancing to Arianna as she watched the door.

"Harder than I expected," Ari confessed with a chuckle, running a hand through her hair. "I finally understand how everyone felt with my reckless tendencies," she couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, but it's not stopped you from being reckless, from what I've heard," Kira smirked. Ari went red.

"You and Xander need to stop talking," she told the former Yellow Ranger, who grinned back at her.

* * *

"This is boring, nobody around to shoot," Spyglass complained as he wandered around, looking for a fight.

"You're not going to be shooting anyone any more!" he looked up, and yelped as a torrent of water slammed into him, throwing him into the side of a building. He sank to the ground, and groaned, before realising that his blaster wasn't in his hand.

"No!" he yelped, scrambling to get it.

"Royal Pachy Punch!" Philip was in his way in an instant, punching Spyglass and connecting with the scope attached to his eye. It shattered, and Spyglass screamed, staggering away from the Prince. Glass and metal dropped to the ground with a clatter, and green blood welled up where the scope had been attached.

"You'll pay for this..." the alien breathed raggedly, stumbling a little. He attacked Philip, only for Olivia to fire an attack herself. It threw off his punch , and Philip was able to get in close and snatch the tub from his belt. "No!" he roared as it began to glow, and a moment later, the rest of the Rangers were on the ground around them.

"What?" Riley blinked, looking around.

"Good heavens, what a dreadful experience," Ivan shook his head.

"Are you guys okay?" Olivia called, and they got to their feet.

"Just a little disorientated," Kendall admitted, a hand to her head.

"I'll just capture you all again!" Spyglass vowed, sniffing.

"Not gonna happen!" Tyler shouted, and the group stood together. "It's Morphin' Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the rest of the Rangers Morphed.

"Tyrannosaurus Rex, Power Ranger Red!"

"Parasaur, Power Ranger Black!

"Stegosaurus, Power Ranger Blue!"

"Velociraptor, Power Ranger Green!"

"Compsognathus, Power Ranger White!"

"Triceratops, Power Ranger Pink!"

"Scelidosaurus, Power Ranger Forest!"

"Pterodactyl, Power Ranger Gold!"

"Pachycephalsaur, Power Ranger Graphite!"

"Plesiosaur, Power Ranger Purple!"

"Dinosaur might, ready to fight! Power Rangers Dino Charge!"

"I don't need my scope to hit you!" Spyglass rushed for his blaster.

"Yes, but you might need your weapon to do it," Kendall commented as she intercepted, kicking him back. She then turned, lifting the blaster, and tossed it into the air.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" both Kendall and Shelby shot the weapon, and it exploded, making Spyglass shriek.

"No! My precious weapon!" he wailed.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining it," Teddie told him as they all stood together.

"Dino Charger, ready! Weapons combine!" the Rangers formed the Dino Spike.

"Lightning Final Strike!" Ivan used his own powerful move.

"Energise! Dino Morpher Blast!" Kendall fired her own attack.

"Royal Pachy Punch!"

"Red Ranger Launch!" Tyler leapt into the air and caught the Dino Spike as it flew past, and he flew at Spyglass as the alien screeched in fear.

"No! _No_!" he wailed, and exploded.

* * *

"That was amazing guys, I can't believe you managed to take him out without us," Tyler commented as they walked back into the base.

"Philip did most of the work, he was the one who smashed his scope and freed you guys," Olivia commented. Philip smiled at her, looking embarrassed.

"Yes, but you were the one who got his weapon away from him and allowed me the chance to get close," he pointed out, and Olivia blushed.

"I think it's safe to say both of you did great work," Chase grinned, and the pair bumped fists. Chase then pulled Olivia away, spinning her around. She couldn't help but laugh at his movements. "I told you you're awesome," he winked at her, and she punched his arm before letting him pull her close in a hug.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"Those were impressive moves," they all looked up at the former Dino Thunder Rangers.

"Almost as impressive as us," Connor smirked. "And uh," he looked at the gem in his hand, which was glowing red. "This is kinda interesting," he glanced to the others, who were also holding their glowing Dino Gems.

"Think it's safe to say our powers came from the Energems," Tommy commented.

"This is so cool," Ethan held his blue stone up to admire the glow. It wasn't as bright as it used to be, but the glow was still there.

"At any rate," Ari chuckled as she set hers down, and the glowing faded again. "You guys did great work out there. You're certainly showing Snide that none of you are to be messed with," she told the Dino Rangers, who smiled proudly. Philip glanced to his side as Arianna slipped her hand into his and smiled at him, and his own smile grew. He'd noticed her distance lately, but she'd refused to open up about it. He was just glad she seemed better, before he had to return to Zandar. Ari winked to the Mercurian as she glanced to her, and Arianna smiled thankfully back.

"So what's going on?" always curious, Riley approached, eager to know more about the mysterious gems that reminded him of his Energem. The others followed, all of them interested in talking to the former Rangers.

* * *

 **I _think_ I might be showing a little favouritism to one character in particular...nah.  
**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Forgive and Forget

**I'm getting very into writing at the moment, and since my friends are off playing Destiny, I have even more time to write!  
**

 **This was a pretty fun chapter to write.**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Forgive and Forget

Teddie breathed a sigh of relief as she made it into work early, pulling her helmet off and heading to the café.

"Morning Teddie," Olivia called, already there and working.

"Morning," the White Ranger smiled back, putting her helmet away and grabbing an apron.

"I still think you having a bike is so cool," the Forest Ranger commented, a little envious. Teddie had bought a damaged bike during the few months they'd gone their separate ways, thinking that the threat was gone, and had been working with Spencer, Annie and Kayden to make it run perfectly.

"It is," Teddie agreed with a wink. "But I want to get it running even smoother. Spence is thinking of visiting soon so might get him to take a look then," she said. Olivia smirked.

"Yeah, if he can look at anything other than Ms. Morgan," the pair giggled at Olivia's words, before Olivia went out with food as Riley went to take more orders, and Teddie covered the grill. As she started cooking more burgers, she sang to herself.

" _The feelings I kept deep inside,_  
 _Are now screaming at the top of my lungs,_  
 _Trying to voice our now infinite vow._

 _I've wandered all my life, relying on a whim,_  
 _And that has led me astray._  
 _Light has become my foe, defying everything,_  
 _While my future fades away._

 _Tonight the moon invites me to the night sky,_  
 _But my lips hesitate to voice a reply,_  
 _But even so I'm screaming from the depths of my heart_ ," she stopped abruptly when she became aware of someone in the kitchen with her, and looked up in surprise.

"Don't stop on my account," Heckyl smirked as he walked past her. Teddie felt her face warm, and not because of the grill.

"Oh shut up," she grumbled. "Maybe announce your presence when you walk into a room," she told him. Heckyl just looked amused.

"Would you like me to provide a fanfare and red carpet announcing my arrival?" he asked her.

"Yes," Teddie said stubbornly.

"I wouldn't have thought you to be so embarrassed over me hearing you sing. You aren't terrible at it," Heckyl told her before walking out as she looked up again and stared at his retreating back. She then sighed, dropping her head.

"You're an idiot Teddie," she told herself, not hearing the chiming noise that emitted from Heckyl's pocket as he went into the back. He then walked out past her again, and Teddie purposely kept her eyes on the grill. "Yep, a total idiot," she sighed heavily, shaking her head.

" _Riley_!" she heard Ms. Morgan's stern voice, and looked up in surprise. It wasn't a normal thing for her to speak to the Green Ranger like that. Peering out, she saw Riley arm wrestling with a young man around the same age, who was smirking victoriously after beating him the moment Riley was distracted. "This isn't a school yard. Back to work," she ordered. Blushing with embarrassment and shame, Riley grabbed his booklet and rushed off as the three at the table laughed loudly.

"Urgh. I hate bullies," she muttered.

"Teddie!" she looked around as Heckyl rushed in, a hand to his neck.

"You alright dude?" she asked. It looked like he was in pain, and struggling to hold back something.

" _Fine_!" he exclaimed, but it was a little forced. "Chase spilled something in the hall and asked to get it cleaned up," he told her. Teddie groaned loudly.

"Watch the grill for me, will you? I'm going to beat my brother round the head," she handed Heckyl the spatula, and paused, looking up at him. "You sure you're okay dude?" Teddie asked him, and he frowned a little, meeting her gaze.

"F-fine," he managed, twitching, but couldn't look away.

"Just don't push yourself," she told him, touching his arm gently, and he nodded, watching as she left the kitchen to clear up after Chase.

Teddie left the restaurant, missing the pulse of energy from the kitchen, and went into the hallway where she found her brother whistling as he walked by.

"Hey Ted, what's-hey!" Chase protested as Teddie hit him with a mop. "What's that about?" he demanded as he caught it, stopping her from hitting him again.

"Where's the spill, jerk?" she questioned.

"What spill? Teddie, did you fall off your bike and hit your head?" Chase asked. Teddie paused, confused.

"You...mean there wasn't a spill?" she questioned.

"No..." Chase shook his head. Teddie blinked rapidly, wondering just what was going on.

* * *

Walking through the park, Teddie sang to herself quietly, looking through her notebook as music played through her headphones. A competition was coming up, and she, Jeremy and Ryan planned to enter, which meant a lot of preparation.

"Are we really ready?" she wondered with a sigh, shaking her head. She flicked through the music on her phone, settling on another song. She took a breath, and started to sing again.

" _Inside my heart and memory you linger,_  
 _I'll never let this chance slip through my fingers,_  
 _You give me strength so if I feel I can't break through, I'll think of you_ ," she sang softly, before a shiver ran down her spine. Pulling her headphones down, she looked around, lowering her book, and frowned. "Am I going crazy?" she wondered.

"I did hear something about speaking to yourself being the first sign of madness, so it seems so," she jumped, and put a hand to her chest.

"Not cool!" she growled at Heckyl as he approached her.

"I did call your name," he defended with an amused smile. She sighed.

"Sorry," Teddie apologised. She had no idea how he kept sneaking up on her. So much for Ninja perception. "What are you doing here anyway? You just disappeared so I figured you'd gone home or something," she commented, tilting her head as she surveyed him. "You do look better than earlier," Teddie said.

"I just needed some air," he told her.

"Oh, okay. You wanna walk back to the museum then?" Teddie smiled.

"Oh," Heckyl seemed surprised by her offer. "Sure," he then nodded, and the two began to walk. "I have to ask. What's with the singing?" he asked her.

"In general? Or right now?" Teddie responded with an amused grin.

"Let's go with right now," Heckyl replied.

"There's a competition I'm entering with friends," the White Ranger shrugged. "I want to be ready and make sure I don't mess up," she explained, putting her notebook back into her bag.

"Seems quite important to you," the man commented mildly. Teddie gave a small laugh.

"I guess it is," she admitted. "What-" Teddie stopped, looking off nearby, and when Heckyl followed her gaze, they saw Riley leap over a wooden wall that the young man from the café had been climbing. However, Riley disappeared into the treeline, and didn't come down, allowing his opponent to reach the ground first and run off laughing with his two lackies. "Riley..." Teddie frowned, having seen the glow of green in Riley's hand. With a yell, the Green Ranger fell from the trees with some branches.

Riley sighed, irritated that he'd lost again, and didn't hear the two approach until Heckyl offered his hand, taking him by surprise.

"Thanks..." Riley let himself be pulled up.

"He's one arrogant dude," Teddie commented as they watched Burt run through tires and on through the rest of the obstacle course.

"Yeah, I don't understand why he's always been such a jerk to me," Riley complained. "I've never done anything to him," he glared after the young man.

"How do you know him?" Teddie asked him.

"We went to school together," Riley told her, and Teddie glanced back to her friend, worried about him.

"If you wanna show him what you're made of, you're going to have to go the distance, shall we say," Heckyl suggested. Riley's brow furrowed in thought.

"You think I should enter the marathon?" he asked.

"He's making a fool out of you," Heckyl pointed out. Riley glanced back to Burt, and the feelings of inadequacy that he'd been made to suffer through in school bubbled to the surface. "Win the marathon, and you'll teach him a lesson he'll never forget," Riley considered this as Teddie folded her arms, wondering if that was really the best case.

"I wonder why he's such an ass to you," she wondered aloud.

"I dunno. He's just always been a jerk," Riley complained. Before Teddie could respond, a shiver ran down her spine and she looked around quickly.

"Down!" she yelled, shoving Riley out of the way so they narrowly missed a projectile that embedded in the wooden wall behind them.

"What? A stinger?" Heckyl stared at it with alarm and confusion.

"Don't tell me..." Teddie groaned, and they looked up as a monster approached with a laugh.

"Just wait till you see what my stinger can do now!" he laughed.

"Is that a monster?" Heckyl asked as Teddie grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way, and the three took cover behind the wall as more stingers embedded in the light wood.

"Stay here," Teddie told him, and she and Riley stepped out. "Could really have done with my bro for this one," Teddie joked weakly.

"No kidding," Riley agreed as he dodged another stinger. "Let's go!" the two ran at Stingrage, who laughed as he fought them off. "What are you up to, you radioactive fruitfly?" he called as he kicked out at the monster, who fell over.

"Do you try to be this weak, or does it just come naturally?" Stingrage asked, and Teddie pulled Riley out of the way before throwing an energy ball that smacked the alien in the face and made him stumble backwards. He recovered quickly, however, and threw Riley aside before kicking Teddie. She cried out, rolling through the grass, and slowed to a stop. "You'll soon forget your pain. And everything else!" he laughed as she got up, stumbling.

"Look out Teddie!" she was shoved out of the way, and landed with another cry as Heckyl landed nearby, a stinger protruding from his chest.

"Heckyl!" Teddie gasped as she realised what he'd done, and he looked down at the stinger. It started to glow orange, and he groaned in pain as she rushed to his side.

"Why'd you do that?! That wasn't the plan!" Stingrage complained. "I'll get you, Rangers!" he vowed, walking towards them slowly.

"Think again, you toxic twit!" the ground in front of him exploded, and he stumbled back quickly as the other Rangers arrived. They began to attack, and Tyler and Shelby were shoved to the ground after being hit, demorphing and groaning.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" Chase and Koda defended them with their attacks, and Stingrage growled in frustration.

"This plan is all messed up!" he complained. "Later losers!" the alien took off.

"Are you guys okay?" Tyler called as they hurried to their fallen friends.

"I'm fine, but Riley got hurt, and Heckyl got shot with one of the stingers," Teddie warned them. Tyler pulled the stinger free as Teddie helped Heckyl sit up, and a cloud of gold emerged as his eyes flashed.

"Heckyl, are you okay?" Tyler asked him as he blinked rapidly, looking around.

"Stingrage fired at me, but Heckyl pushed me out of the way and got hit," Teddie explained as Koda helped Riley up.

"What am I doing here? What happened to me?" Heckyl questioned, looking around at them. He then frowned, as if considering something. "Who am I?" he asked them.

"You mean, you don't remember?" Shelby stared at him.

"Well...no," he admitted. He then got to his feet, helped by the Red and White Rangers, and pulled away. "Who are you?" he questioned.

"We're friends," Teddie told him carefully, raising her hands in a non-threatening manner.

"We'll get you some help," Tyler nodded. The man stared at them, uncertain, before nodding.

* * *

Kendall and Arianna walked out to greet the Rangers as they arrived back at the museum with Heckyl.

"This is _not_ a good idea," Kendall warned, having been alerted to what was going on. "Showing anybody our base is very risky," she told them.

"Heckyl already knows we're Rangers," Chase told her. The Purple Ranger's eyes widened.

"What? How?" Arianna gasped, her hands over her mouth.

"He saw us," Shelby admitted.

"He was only injured when he valiantly leapt in to save Teddie," Ivan explained. Kendall looked at the White Ranger. "We have to help him," Ivan requested.

"Please, Ms. Morgan," Riley pleaded. Kendall looked to Arianna, who looked worried.

"He already knows the truth, and he helped Teddie," she pointed out. Kendall sighed heavily.

"Okay, bring him in," she agreed reluctantly.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Heckyl asked Teddie, looking to her as he stuck close to the girl.

"You'll see," she gave a small smile back.

* * *

"I don't like this," Ari told them, watching Heckyl from across the room. "I've got a really bad feeling," she warned.

"Mum, he helped Teddie," Chase pointed out.

"I know," Ari sighed. "But I don't trust him," she shook her head, unable to shake the feeling she had gotten since Heckyl had been brought in. He was sitting with Teddie and Arianna as the Mercurian made sure that he wasn't injured past the three puncture marks in his chest.

"What's with her?" Olivia whispered to Chase as he left his mum to worry.

"No idea. But on the plus side, think we finally get to repay Teddie," he smirked, glancing to where Heckyl and Teddie were talking quietly. He looked baffled, but seemed to trust her. Olivia grinned, a devious look in her eyes.

"You guys know that two wrongs doesn't make a right, don't you?" Arianna commented as she walked past them.

"And how often did she tease you for liking Prince Philip?" Olivia challenged her. Arianna paused, her cheeks warming. Without a word, she walked off.

"That's basically Arianna for 'go ahead I won't stop you'," Chase translated, and bumped fists with Olivia.

"I'm still confused...what's going on?" Heckyl asked Teddie.

"It's okay," she smiled at him. "We'll make an antidote in no time. Mum's really good with that stuff," she told him, and he nodded slowly.

"Right..." he looked down. "I have no idea of anything. My head...it hurts," he admitted quietly.

"You didn't seem to be feeling great before, maybe you're still sick," Teddie considered, and stiffened when he took her hand.

"Thank you. You've been very kind," he told her as Teddie felt the warmth spread up her face. "I'd probably have been completely lost if you weren't..." Heckyl trailed off, putting a hand to his neck, covering his tattoo, and wincing as if it hurt.

"It's cool," Teddie shrugged, but he didn't let go of her hand.

"This the one he sting me with, long time ago," Koda pointed to the stinger that Kendall had lifted from a shelf.

"And this is the one that Heckyl was hit by today," the Purple Ranger set another down beside it, and they gathered around to look curiously. "The venom is different," she explained.

"So instead of making someone rage out..." Olivia started, thinking back to when Koda had almost taken them all down in a haze of rage.

"The new venom causes victims to forget who they are, what they're doing," Shelby told them as she brought over a vial.

"Explains why Heckyl is totally clueless," Arianna considered, looking around at him.

"If that had hit Teddie...she'd have forgotten that she was a Ranger," Tyler realised.

"They could have taken her Energem," Riley nodded.

"This antidote should work," Ari handed it to Shelby. "Thankfully it's not the first time I've dealt with potions," she commented, and they watched as the Pink Ranger approached Heckyl. He looked up quickly, wariness returning to his expression, but before he could react, she'd sprayed the antidote in his face. He flinched away as a pale blue haze shone in his face, before he became alert. His eyes landed on his hand still holding Teddie's, and quickly pulled away.

"I remember everything now..." he breathed, looking up at the others. "That monster stung me, and you were all..." his eyes lit up. "Power Rangers," he laughed.

"It worked," Riley nodded.

"Of course it did, I'm a little offended that you thought it wouldn't," Heckyl glanced to Ari in surprise, not recognising her. She met his gaze with a blank expression, giving nothing away.

"You can't tell anyone about this," Shelby told Heckyl.

"Your secret is safe with me," he reassured.

"We have to be ready when that monster attacks again. Come on," Tyler instructed. They went over to the computer, and Teddie followed them, while Heckyl looked at Ari again. The woman glanced at him, and a shiver ran down his spine.

"Who is she..." he murmured to himself.

* * *

Crowds had gathered in the park early the next morning, watching the marathon about to take place.

" _Runners! The Amber Beach Marathon starts in five minutes! Please report to the starting line, and don't forget to drink plenty of water_!" the announcer called as the runners started to gather together.

"Hey Riley," as the others went to the first checkpoint to cheer Riley on there, Teddie stayed behind to talk to the Green Ranger.

"What's up Teddie?" he asked, eager to get to the starting line.

"Yesterday, before Stingrage attacked us, I saw you use your Energem to try and climb the wall faster than Burt," Riley stiffened, looking away from her. "Are you sure that's how you want to beat him?" Teddie asked him softly. He didn't answer her. "Good luck out there Riley, we'll be cheering you on. Cause you're awesome, whether or not you win the marathon," Teddie patted his shoulder, and turned, jogging off as Riley sighed.

"She's a demon," he muttered to himself, touching the Energem hidden under his shirt.

* * *

"This is exciting, I wonder how Riley's holding up," Arianna smiled as they waited for their friend to show.

"Knowing that guy, he's probably already worked out the best way to win logically," Chase grinned, and Olivia nudged him.

"Hey, we're supporting Riley, not teasing him," she pointed out, but was smiling a little too.

"Here they come!" Koda called suddenly, pointing at Riley as he came into view, running just behind Burt. Teddie smiled, glad that he seemed to have listened and avoided using his Energem.

"Riley's in second place!" Ivan realised.

"Oh, come on!" Shelby breathed.

"Guys, our secret weapon!" Koda told Tyler and Chase, who grinned as the others couldn't hide their laughter. As Riley ran by, the three lifted their shirts to reveal 'Run Riley Run' written across their torsos in white paint.

"Run Riley Run!" they cheered, making him laugh.

"Thanks goofballs," he called, high-fiving Tyler as he ran by. He stopped, however, when he realised that Burt had stopped running, and looked around. "Burt, what are you doing?" he called to him.

"Who's Burt?" the other runner frowned, confused. Riley looked around as other runners started to stop, looking confused as well.

"Guys, I think everyone's losing their memories!" he warned the others standing at the checkpoint.

"What? But how?" Teddie frowned.

"The venom!" Tyler gasped, and Shelby dropped her cup.

"It must be in the water!" she realised, but it was too late. All but Riley and Arianna stumbled as they were hit with the venom. "Wait...what am I doing here?" Shelby questioned, baffled.

"I don't know how to ride a skateboard, do I?" Chase asked, looking at the board in his hand.

"Dude, I don't even know who you are, let alone if you ride a skateboard," Teddie told him with an arched eyebrow. Tyler lifted his shirt, having felt the dry paint across his stomach.

"Who's Nur?" he frowned.

"Riley, did you drink any of the water?" Arianna asked him as she hurried over to him. He shook his head, lifting his bottle. "Me neither," she looked to the other Rangers as they wandered around, completely confused.

"Ms. Morgan, we have a problem," he warned the Purple Ranger as he contacted her.

' _I know, I've been reading reports throughout town_ ,' she told him.

"Everyone else has been affected but us," Arianna spoke up.

' _Get the Energems from the other Rangers_ ,' Ari called as she came into view. ' _They're sitting ducks without their memories_ ,' she warned.

"Right, we'll get them now," Riley nodded. The two split up to grab the Energems from their confused friends.

"Greetings my lady," Ivan greeted Arianna as she approached him.

"I see amnesia hasn't gotten rid of your chivalry," she smiled back. "Excuse me, I just need to borrow something," Arianna caught the string around his neck and fished out the Gold Energem, and she pulled it free.

"My, that is rather beautiful, what is it?" Ivan asked her.

"I'll tell you after, thanks!" Arianna rushed off, reaching Chase as he fell on the ground, having attempted to ride his skateboard.

"Uh..." he frowned, not sure what to say as she grabbed his Energem. After taking Teddie's as well, she met up with Riley, who had the other Energems as he stood with Heckyl. Koda wandered off, having been standing with them.

"I'll get these back to the base for safekeeping," Riley decided, and Heckyl nodded, but as the two ran off, they missed his frustrated look.

* * *

"It's a good thing I made extra of that antidote," Ari sighed as she worked on making more, her hands glowing golden as she duplicated the antidote.

"Will it be enough? We need antidote for all of Amber Beach," Riley pointed out as he paced.

"Don't worry, it'll be enough. But distributing it is going to be the problem," Ari told them.

"I can spray it from the Plesio Zord," Kendall suggested, and handed Riley a small spray bottle. "Use this right away so the other Rangers can get their memories back. Don't give them their Energems until they know who they are," she warned him.

"Got it," Riley rushed off, and Kendall started to push the cart with the tubs of the antidote to the door.

"Arianna, come on, we should go as well and make sure nobody gets hurt in the confusion," Ari told the Mercurian, who nodded. They ran out as well, hoping the antidote would work in time.

* * *

"Is there a Tyler...Hartford here?" Tyler called as he looked through the wallet he had found in his pocket. "I have your wallet!" he shouted. Koda sat on the ground using a blade of grass to whistle, and Teddie was looking through the notebook she'd found on her.

"What is this supposed to be?" she asked, reading over song lyrics and tilting her head. "It doesn't make much sense," Teddie commented.

"I know where Tyler is," Riley called as he ran towards them. Nearby, Ari and Arianna were trying to keep people from wandering off somewhere dangerous. "Come on, get up," he encouraged Koda and Teddie.

"Here you go," Tyler offered his wallet with a smile.

"Keep it," Riley told him. "Okay, let me just-"

"Whoa! What is that stuff!" Chase stopped him spraying it on him, looking wary.

"Relax, it's...it's cologne," Riley lied.

"Well in that case...go right ahead," Chase allowed. Riley rolled his eyes and sprayed the antidote in everyone's face, making them all flinch.

"Riley, why did you just spray us?" Tyler complained, wiping the liquid from his face. Riley grinned widely as the Red Ranger's eyes widened. "Wait a second...I'm Tyler, and this is my wallet!" he realised with a laugh.

"Our memories are back!" Shelby laughed.

"Thank god, it was kinda freaky not knowing what was going on," Olivia sighed with relief.

"My Energem!" Koda realised it was missing, and they panicked, realising they were all gone.

"It's okay, I have them," Riley handed over the Energems. "Now, the city's water supply is completely contaminated, and right now Ms. Morgan is working on spreading the antidote with the Plesio Zord," he explained the plan.

"Okay, until that happens, we've gotta stop people from drinking the water," Chase told them.

"And keep an eye out for Stingrage," Shelby added. "We have to find him before he does any more damage," she said.

"What about the people around here? We can't let them wander off into traffic or something," Teddie worried.

"Don't worry, we've got this place covered!" Ari called over, giving a thumbs up.

"Then let's go," Tyler told his team, and they split up.

* * *

After being contacted by Kendall that Stingrage was contaminating the water with even more venom, the Rangers hurried to stop him.

"The Rangers will have to drink water sooner or later!" Stingrage laughed.

"When they do, we'll be waiting for them!" Fury smirked.

"Not gonna happen!" the two let out cries of alarm as they looked around to see the Rangers standing together Morphed.

"They must not stop us!" Fury called on Vivix and the blue guards. "Vivix, destroy them!" he ordered. The monsters ran at them, and the Rangers began to fight on the dam.

"Chase, get Stingrage! Destroy his nasty venom!" Koda called as he flipped one.

"I'm trying Koda," Chase growled. "But these lettuce heads are in my way," he complained.

"Leave Fury to me!" Ivan blocked the cat's sword and shoved him away from the other Rangers as Teddie shoved several Vivix back, and they tumbled over the railings.

"Say goodbye to your memories, Amber Beach!" Stingrage laughed as he continued to pour his venom into the water.

"No way!" Olivia threw out her hands, and the venom was caught in water that lifted from the lake and rose up, slamming into Stingrage. "Whew, didn't think that'd work," she admitted as Chase caught her.

"Energise!" Tyler shouted as he, Koda, Shelby and Teddie inserted chargers into their blasters.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" the four attacks however, bounced off Stingrage, who laughed.

"You can't get through my defences!" he taunted them.

"Stingrage's defences are too strong!" Shelby gulped.

"Tyler, it's time for you to try my Dino Armour X power," Chase told him.

"I'll give it a go," Tyler nodded. "Dino Steel, Armour On!" he called on the higher power, and caught the Charger that Chase tossed him. "Dino Morpher Blast!" Tyler cut through Stingrage's attack as he activated the new Charger. "Awesome! What a power boost!" he laughed.

"Dude, I wanted to try that!" Teddie complained.

"No way," Chase smirked at his sister.

"Spiral attack!" Tyler rushed Stingrage and leapt up, spinning and slamming through Stingrage's defences, making him cry out in pain.

"Time for this bug to bug off!"

"Dino Sabre, Final Strike!" the rest of them used their sabres to finish him off, and Tyler cheered.

"Nice work Sir Tyler," Ivan praised as he easily overwhelmed Fury.

"See? You can't get through my defences!" they looked around in surprise to see Stingrage back on his feet. "Magna Beam!" he called. The light flew down and hit him as he fell off the dam, and began to grow. "You'll never forget me!" he laughed.

"Dino Chargers ready! Summon Zords!" the Rangers formed the Dino Charge Megazord Para-Raptor formation.

"Dino Drive, activate!" they shouted as they landed in the cockpit, calling on the enhanced power.

"Let's use Ms. Morgan's new Dino Super Drive mode to take out Stingrage," Tyler suggested. The rest of the group nodded in agreement. "Dino Charger ready! Dino Super Drive sabre!" Tyler's armour increased as the sabre in his hand changed, becoming more powerful. "Dino Super Drive activate!" he called as the others gained the armour as well.

"Battle mode engage!"

"Feels strong," Koda commented.

"Good job Ms. Morgan!" Shelby laughed.

"Dino Super Drive rocks!" Chase grinned.

"This dude is going down," Teddie smirked, cracking her knuckles.

"Wow, this Super Drive mode gives me a new surge of power," Riley commented as they easily deflected Stingrage's attacks.

"It won't be enough!" Stingrage vowed, but they cut across his front and made him roar in pain as the wound steamed.

"He's weakened," Tyler looked at the sword in his hand. "Let's give this baby's final strike a go," he grinned. "Dino Super Drive sabre, activate!" he summoned the power of their Chargers and activated it.

"Dino Super Drive Sabre! Parazord Fireball Finish!" a powerful ball of energy gathered at their hand, which they threw at the monster. He shrieked, and exploded, destroyed by the finishing attack. The Rangers cheered at another victory.

* * *

Back at the marathon, the Rangers waited for Riley, who had insisted on finishing the marathon with Burt, who he'd seemed to have made peace with. Spotting the two come into view, Koda lifted his shirt. The paint had worn a good deal, but Riley's name was still visible.

"Run Riley-"

"Not now!" Tyler stopped him with a laugh. "They're finishing last," he pointed out.

"Oh..." Koda deflated.

"I'm sure Riley still appreciates the gesture Koda," Teddie smiled at him, patting his shoulder. They watched the two as they debated over going the line last.

"Urgh, come on, I'm hungry," Olivia rolled her eyes, and they cheered as the two stepped over the line together, celebrating joint last place.

* * *

"Well, the marathon is over, and I feel like I ran it too," Teddie complained as she cleared up the kitchen.

"Losing your memory does seem to take it out of you," Heckyl commented as he helped her.

"Urgh, yeah. That sucked," she complained, scrubbing down the grill with more vigor as she thought about it.

"Indeed," she looked up as Heckyl agreed with her. She watched as he returned plates to the shelves, and swallowed.

"I never thanked you. For taking that stinger for me," he looked around as she spoke up. Teddie then gave a small laugh, shaking her head. "Seems you're always saving me. That's not something I'm used to," she admitted.

"As a Power Ranger, I imagine not," he agreed as he walked back over to her, and she laughed quietly.

"Yeah, definitely not. Thanks, Heckyl," Teddie smiled at him. The man paused, his hand twitching as if he was trying not to lift it, and his mind went back to when his memory had come back.

"I-"

" _Althea Bly, stand up straight_!" Teddie squealed, instinctively reaching out and grabbing Heckyl's hand. She then pulled away just as quickly, her face going bright red as he stared at her, before hysterical laughter behind Teddie made her whirl around.

"Jeremy, I have _told_ you!" she punched the arm of the tall young man with blond hair who couldn't stop laughing. Heckyl looked at the young man he hadn't sensed coming either. With stubble lining his jaw and a pair of sunglasses, he seemed older than he was, and there was an air about him that didn't seem entirely normal. "Don't call me that, and _don't_ sneak up on me!" Teddie shouted at her best friend as he lifted his sunglasses to wipe tears from his blue eyes.

"Ryan is gonna be _bummed_ that he missed that reaction. God, it never gets old," Jeremy sighed.

"I rue the day you ever met my grandfather and learned how to mimic him," Teddie growled, her face still burning. "What are you _doing_ here?" she demanded.

"Practice. Come on," Teddie let out a cry as he suddenly lifted her over his shoulder. "Sorry dude, I've had Teddie booked for a while," he told Heckyl, ignoring Teddie's protests.

"It's...alright?" Heckyl said, uncertain of what was going on.

"Cool, thanks dude. Laters!" Jeremy walked off, still ignoring Teddie's yells as Heckyl watched them leave. Distracted by the fiasco, he didn't notice Ari in the back door, her hand glowing golden. Heckyl flinched, a hand to his head, and Ari slipped back out.

"Sorry Ted, but I don't trust this guy enough to let him know where the base is," she murmured, vanishing before he was ever aware she was there.

* * *

 **Like I said, it was fun to write, so I hope you liked it!**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Nightmare in Amber Beach

**I was gonna wait until tomorrow to post this chapter, but I'm flying through chapter 7 at the moment so thought I may as well update early.**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Nightmare in Amber Beach

"I can't believe you!" Teddie's furious yell echoed through the house as she stood in the kitchen, glaring at Ari. "What's your problem? Why would you do that?" she demanded.

"What's going on?" Ivan asked as he walked in with Chase, Olivia and Arianna, completing the Ranger zoo that currently filled the house.

"I wiped Heckyl's memories of the base," Ari told them, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

"What? Why?" Olivia asked, surprised.

"Because she doesn't trust him," Teddie scowled, furious that her mum would do such a thing without consulting them. Ari sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"I did it to protect the base. Too many times we've lost our bases because the enemy found them," she told them. "I don't trust him. You're right Teddie. That's true," Ari told her, and Teddie's temper grew. "It's nothing against your judgement. Any of you. I know you only brought him there because he was hurt helping you. I respect that," she glanced to the others to show she included them in this. "But he can't know where the base is," Ari said firmly.

"You've had plenty of people-"

"Past Rangers, who know how to keep a secret," Ari cut Teddie off. "And my brother, who saved Chase's life and has known about my history since I was 15," Teddie's fists clenched tightly.

" _Fine_ ," Teddie hissed, turning and storming to the door. "Maybe I'll just reverse it myself," she muttered. Ari's eyes widened, but Chase beat her to it, stopping Teddie.

"Are you nuts? You know the risk of doing that," he told her, staring at his stubborn sister.

"What risks?" Arianna asked, worried that their friend would do something reckless.

"To try and override someone else's magic is dangerous," Chase explained, not looking away from Teddie. "You could do more harm than good, _especially_ if trying to reverse magic far more powerful than your own," Teddie yanked her arm free and stormed off. The others looked to Ari, who was looking out the window with an unreadable expression.

"You guys better get to work. I'll catch you later," her voice was quiet, and the others didn't argue, quickly leaving. As the door shut behind them, Ari sighed, putting her hands to her face.

"That didn't seem to go well," Xander commented as he walked into the kitchen.

"Level with me Xander, do you think I did the wrong thing?" Ari asked him softly, letting her hands drop to her sides.

"Ari, you know I've always got your back," the earth mystic replied.

"But...?"

"No buts," Xander shook his head, taking her hands. "I trust your instincts, and if you think there's something off with the guy, then it's for the best that he doesn't know," he told her. Ari relaxed a little, but tears started to fill her eyes.

"Teddie hates me for it," she whispered.

"She has a crush on the dude, she's bound to get defensive about it," Xander told her. He then grinned at her. "Just like you did with me," he teased her. Ari blushed, and pulled her hands free to shove him.

"I did not, dork," she denied, blushing as he laughed, not letting her move away from the counter pressed to her back.

"You're blushing," he told her. "It's okay, it's cute," he teased. Ari groaned, shoving him again, but he was much stronger, not budging. "It'll work out Ari, so stop worrying so much," he told her, and Ari sighed.

"Thanks Xander," she smiled at him softly, reaching up and catching his collar. "I'd have gone crazy by now without you," she admitted.

"I know," Ari rolled her eyes at his reply, and tugged lightly to pull him down into a kiss. After a moment however, she pulled away, her eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" Xander asked her curiously.

"I did something behind my daughter's back and claimed that it was for the best...I'm turning into my mother," she panicked.

"Ari," Xander couldn't help but laugh at his wife freaking out. "Your parents kept that a secret and put you at risk for it. You've told Teddie the truth. You're not Althea," he soothed her.

"Urgh..." Ari's head fell forwards and hit his chest with a thump. "This is so complicated. How did Althea and Daggeron cope with doing this?" she wondered.

"Stop dwelling. It'll be fine," Xander told her firmly, and pushed her up enough to kiss her again. Ari's grip on his collar tightened, hoping that he was right.

* * *

"Ted, quit sulking," Chase told his sister as she flipped a burger, glaring at the grill.

"No," she told him stubbornly.

"Man, and they say Spencer could be annoying when he gets mad," Chase rolled his eyes. Teddie shot him a glare, but he met it evenly.

"Oh, looks like you're not the only one in a mood today," Olivia commented as she saw Shelby stop in, closely followed by Riley, who had offered to pick her up from her business school.

"Exam results out?" Tyler asked as Shelby slumped into a seat.

"I got a B!" she grumbled. The others exchanged looks.

"Why are you upset about getting a B?" Tyler questioned, as confused as the rest. "It's a good grade," he pointed out.

"That's what I've been telling her," Riley nodded, wondering why Shelby was acting like she'd failed.

"My parents would celebrate if I got a B," Chase grinned.

"Doesn't surprise me," Olivia commented, and he elbowed her.

"Trust me, if Chase got a B, we'd be running for cover because pigs would be flying," Teddie called over.

"Oh, now you're feeling better?" Chase shot her a frown as the others, minus Shelby, laughed.

"That's just it. My dad won't be happy. In my family, getting a B is-"

" _Unbelievable_!" Shelby's eyes widened and she looked around quickly as they saw a man walk in, not looking happy. "A 'B' just isn't good enough, Shelby Watkins," her father scolded.

"Dad?" she groaned, unable to believe he'd shown up at her work.

"You need to study harder if you're gonna run Watkins Ice Cream," he told her firmly.

"Watkins Ice Cream?" Olivia asked, confused.

"They're a huge ice cream company over here," Tyler explained for the Irish girl. "That's your family's business?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah..." Shelby nodded, not meeting their gaze as her face burned.

"Best ice cream bar none. There you go," he handed over several samples to the Rangers.

"Thank you," Tyler smiled, excited as they dug in.

"That's nice of you, dad," Shelby thanked him as well.

"It's not nice, it's smart," Mr. Watkins corrected her sharply. "A happy customer is a returning customer. Tell your friends," he told the others.

"Huh, I feel like I just got bribed," Teddie muttered.

"You don't have to worry, dad. I'm going to retake the test in two days," Shelby got back on topic, hoping to appease her father.

"Oh, good initiative," Mr. Watkins nodded, impressed. "You'll get an 'A' for sure, honey. Why don't I stop by and quiz you?" he offered.

"Yay! That would be...great..." Shelby managed to say, but didn't look very happy about it.

"Catch you later sweetheart," the older man kissed the top of her head before striding off. The moment he left, Shelby sagged in her seat with a groan.

"Great..." she sighed.

"That's rough," Olivia winced sympathetically.

"Good luck," Teddie called as she walked back over to the grill, finishing off the ice-cream. "Chase, can you cover the grill? I need to get stuff from the freezer," she asked.

"Sure," the Black Ranger walked in and took the spatula from his sister as she walked off, disappearing into the walk in fridge. He hummed to himself as the others got back to work and Shelby began to study frantically.

"Seems Shelby is rather frenzied to study," Heckyl commented as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Chase laughed, looking up at the other waiter. A mischievous look then shone in his eyes, and he looked back at the burgers. "Hey Heckyl, can you grab some burgers from the freezer?" he asked.

"Oh, sure," Heckyl nodded, walking over and stepping inside. The moment he did, Chase waved his hand, and the door shut behind him, locking.

"Chase! I saw that!" Olivia gasped, and was shushed.

"Teddie has tortured us for months, you don't want payback?" he asked her quietly, and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"You're such a child," she told him, and he winked at her as she left him to it.

"What happened?" Heckyl wondered, pressing his hand to the door that had shut behind him. He drew his hand back as the cold burned his fingers, and a shiver ran down his spine.

"What's wrong?" Teddie turned to him, carrying a tray of burgers.

"The door...shut behind me, I can't open it," Heckyl told her. Teddie frowned, setting the tray down, and slipped between him and the door, pushing at it.

"It's locked?" she wondered, and felt a pulse of magic. "Chase...you're a dead man when I get out of here," she vowed.

"Why Chase?" Heckyl asked her curiously. Teddie paused. "Wait, why did he ask me to get these when you were already doing it?" he asked, and Teddie refused to look at him, her heart pounding so painfully she was certain he could hear it.

"Because my brother's an idiot and likes to play pranks," she told him after a moment, turning around. She pressed against the door in surprise as she realised he hadn't backed away from her. He was so close that she brushed against him, making his eyes widen. "I...uh..." Teddie swallowed, not sure what to do as he stared at her, looking just as baffled. There was an awkward, tense silence that fell over the pair as Teddie stood completely still, and he seemed to be having an internal debate.

Teddie prayed he didn't feel her heart pounding painfully in her chest, but wasn't too sure how he wouldn't, being so close to her. The air between them fogged up as the cold started to seep through their clothes, and Teddie fought against the shivering that wasn't entirely to do with the cold air of the freezer. Her lips parted slightly as she tried to say something, but Heckyl's hand slid up her cheek, warmer than her face and mostly covered by his leather fingerless gloves, silencing any thought she might have had. Warmth spread from his fingertips across her face, and her next breath was ragged as he leaned in, and she reached up to meet him.

The freezer door suddenly opened behind Teddie, taking the pair by surprise, and they pulled away from each other quickly.

"Honestly Chase, it isn't funny," Riley scolded, having freed them.

"I'll kill you!" Teddie took off after her brother, who made a break for it, still howling with laughter.

"You alright man?" Heckyl looked at Riley as he spoke to him. Not speaking, he nodded, striding off quickly as he looked at his hand, wondering just what had gotten into him. A chiming echoed from his pocket, and he cursed, slipping out.

* * *

After being told off by Kendall for running around the museum, Chase and Teddie returned to the café and Teddie proceeded to ignore her brother for the rest of the shift.

"Are you okay?" Arianna approached Teddie, who flipped a chair and balanced it on the table.

"Fine, why?" Teddie replied shortly, and Arianna caught her wrist to stop her. Teddie frowned, looking at her.

"Teddie, you argued with your mum this morning, and then you got locked in the freezer, and you've been quiet since," she pointed out, her eyes full of worry for her friend. Teddie sighed, glancing away. "Teddie?" Arianna tilted her head. She watched her friend debate something, and close her eyes. She then looked at Arianna, looking worried.

"I almost-" before Teddie could say anything, she felt something in the air, and looked around, pushing Arianna out of the way as a sword came down between them. "Shelby?!" she gasped, seeing the Pink Ranger stumble after missing. She then turned, and narrowly missed Koda, who grabbed a stool as a shield.

"What I do wrong?" Koda asked, fearful as Shelby cut through the stool.

"Stop it Shelby!" Teddie grabbed her wrist, but Shelby swung and Teddie was forced down to dodge her attack. "Shelby!" she shouted, but the girl didn't seem to hear her.

"Shelby, stop! What are you doing!" Tyler rushed over as he saw Shelby kick Teddie. The White Ranger fell into Arianna, and the two toppled to the ground with cries. Riley rushed her to try and get her sabre from her, but she dodged and he narrowly avoided the end of it. Shelby ignored him, attacking Tyler as he tried to stop her, before she kicked him over a table and shoved Ivan out of the way. Tyler rolled over it, grabbing something from it in hopes it would protect him.

"Shelby, no!" Koda shouted in horror as Shelby swung down. One of Teddie's energy-balls hit her sword, forcing her back enough to miss Tyler, but cut through the pillow in his hands. There was another shimmer of energy, and Shelby stumbled, looking alert.

"Oh my gosh," she dropped her sabre to the ground. "I was having a terrible...nightmare," she flinched, and a puff of smoke flew from her ear.

"What the hell?" Teddie stared.

"What is going on here?" Kendall demanded as she rushed in, having heard the commotion. Her dark brown eyes widened at the chaos, and the sheep-like monster that was standing opposite them.

"Surprise!" Nightmare cackled.

"Foul monster! Have at thee!" Ivan yelled, calling on his Dino Sabre. Nightmare just laughed at them as they prepared to fight him.

"You must sleep eventually, see you in your dreams!" the alien taunted, disappearing in a cloud of pink smoke and flying out before they could stop him.

"That thing was in your head," Riley turned to Shelby.

"Really?" her eyes were wide and she breathed heavily, still shaking from the rush of adrenaline. "It was in my dream, it was so real...I dreamed you were all Vivix," Shelby explained.

"This isn't good guys," Tyler looked down at the pink pillow he'd used as a shield against Shelby's attacks.

"Down to the base. We need to make sure you're okay," Kendall ordered.

* * *

Night had fallen by the time the tests on Shelby were done.

"I can't sense anything wrong with you," Ari leaned back from the Pink Ranger, who shivered as the tingling of magic faded.

"I haven't been able to find anything either," Kendall shook her head as she looked at her computer. Shelby sighed, looking at the damaged pillow nearby.

"Something about that pillow..." she frowned. "It came today with no return address," she remembered, and they all glanced to the pillow curiously.

"I'll analyse the pillow," Kendall lifted the two pieces and looked from one piece to the other, before bringing them over to her equipment. "But in the meantime, nobody sleeps, not even for a moment," she ordered the team. "Even if we have to stay up all night," they groaned at the idea.

"I'll get the coffee," Ari chuckled, turning and walking off as the Rangers exchanged looks, wondering just how they were going to stay awake all night.

* * *

The Rangers did their best to stay awake all night. Kendall, already very used to staying up all night working on projects or research, was completely focused on analysing the pillow and finding out what might have caused Shelby to have a nightmare so strong that it would cause her to attack her friends.

Ari was teaching Tyler and Arianna new moves, with Koda mimicking them as best he could, while Olivia played with Nerida. Chase played video games, while Shelby was in the corner studying, and Ivan and Riley sparred, practising their sword techniques. Teddie sat as far from Shelby as she could after receiving a dirty look for being loud while Shelby was trying to study, and practised her guitar.

"You're so much help!" Olivia complained as Nerida eventually got bored of playing, and curled up by Chase's feet, falling asleep instantly. Olivia slumped down next to him, elbowing Chase as he started to fall asleep. She lifted the other controller, and the two began to play again, working to try and keep each other awake.

"I haven't stayed up all night in a long time," Ari commented with a wide yawn as she blocked Koda's punch. She then tossed an energy-ball so it exploded over Shelby's head, and the Pink Ranger woke with a snort.

"That's it!" they looked around at Kendall's exclamation. She was the only one who looked even remotely awake.

"What's it?" Tyler yawned, having been juggling for the last hour.

"This pillow sends out a harmonic brainwave that puts the victim to sleep," Kendall explained as she looked up from her findings. "Until the pillow is destroyed, he or she will not be able to wake up," she told them.

"And while Shelby was asleep, the monster could control her dreams," Riley realised.

"Then he made his illusions to make me attack you guys," Shelby caught on as well.

"This is why you use rocks, not pillows, like me," Koda told them, lying down. He immediately began to snore, but Chase kicked him lightly, and he groaned as he sat up.

"I'm too tired to even pretend to understand this stuff," Teddie yawned widely. "Since it means it's not just when we fall asleep, does this mean I can go to bed?" she asked.

"No, until Nightmare is destroyed, we're all at risk," Kendall shook her head. Teddie let her head fall back.

"I was afraid you'd say that," she sighed.

"Ms. Morgan's right," Riley agreed. "If any one of us fall asleep, Nightmare can control us," he pointed out.

"At this point, it's almost worth it," Olivia considered.

"I disagree," Arianna somehow looked more awake than all but Kendall. A beeping sound echoed from Kendall's wrist, and she looked down, switching it off.

"It's time to open the café," she told them, making them groan again.

"We have to watch each other's backs, so none of us fall asleep, until after that monster's destroyed," Tyler told his team, worried.

* * *

"Teddie, if you're sleeping in there, I'm going to kick your butt," Chase warned as he opened the freezer door.

"Oh shut up, I'm not. It's the only thing waking me up right now," Teddie rolled her eyes as she passed him with more food.

"More coffee?" Arianna offered her.

"That's just making me feel like hell. I'm wired but exhausted," Teddie complained. "Chase!" she snapped, and he woke up, having almost fallen asleep over the grill.

"M'wake!" he grunted, and Teddie shoved him away from the heat.

"Eh, maybe we should get someone who's a little more awake to man the grill," she suggested.

"Good idea..." Chase yawned, wandering away. "Oh, looks like Shelby's busted," he commented, and they looked up to see Shelby's dad lift her book on dinosaurs. He dismissed anything she said about dinosaurs, pushing a book on business into her hands.

"Her dad's pretty overbearing," Teddie commented as she leaned on the counter and watched.

"I couldn't imagine disagreeing with my dad," Arianna admitted with a nod. "But I want to be like him, Shelby has her own dreams," she considered.

"Yeah..." Teddie yawned, and the two slumped into each other. Before they could fall asleep, there was a loud clatter behind them, making them shriek and turn, with Teddie falling into a fighting stance.

"No sleeping," Chase smirked.

"Do _not_ make me hurt you bro," Teddie warned. Shelby and her father then walked into the kitchen, and Shelby sighed as her father prepared an explanation.

"Add this up for me," he tossed Koda the calculator, which Tyler passed to Riley when Koda started to mash the buttons. "Burger bun, 36 cents. Meat patty, a dollar 30. Cheese, a quarter. And a squirt of ketchup and mustard, four and a half cents each. What do you think of that?" he asked Shelby, who had been yawning.

"Sorry, I'm still bored," she told him. He sighed, disappointed.

"Let the magic begin!" he turned away with a crack of his knuckles.

"Whatever you do, don't look impressed," Shelby told her friends as she rolled her eyes, knowing what her father was like. They nodded, trying to look serious. Teddie yawned, and Tyler elbowed her as she leaned on him.

"Mean," she complained.

"No sleeping," he whispered back as she stuck out her tongue.

" _Voilá_!" their eyes widened and they couldn't stop their gasps as Mr. Watkins turned around with a tray to reveal a burger and fries, with sparklers sticking out of the bun and shining brightly.

"That not boring!" Koda laughed as Shelby glared at them.

"What do you see, Shelby?" Mr. Watkins smiled proudly as the Rangers quickly composed themselves under her stern look.

"It's just a six dollar Bronto burger, and some pretty cool sparklers!" she snapped, frustrated with him.

"Where'd he get the sparklers?" Arianna whispered. Tyler shrugged, looking excited about it the moment Shelby had looked away.

"That's exactly _wrong_!" Shelby's dad exclaimed. "What's the total?" he asked Riley, who snapped out of his awe to look at the calculator.

"Uh...two dollars," he announced.

"You see? I didn't just make a burger, Shelby, I made _four dollars profit_ like magic," Mr. Watkins laughed, holding up four notes in his hand.

"Dude doesn't even know the meaning of magic," Teddie rolled her eyes.

"Teddie," Riley whispered.

"What? I'm tired!" Teddie whined back at him.

"You take a bunch of boring, and you turn it into something people will love, at a fair profit," Mr. Watkins continued, not hearing the exchange. He handed the tray to Tyler, who's eyes lit up, until Koda growled at him and he quickly slid it to the caveman. "That my dear, is _business_!" Mr. Watkins declared loudly. The others, bar Teddie and Shelby, applauded, until their Dino Comms beeped loudly.

"Dad I gotta go! Sorry, my boss, she's calling me," Shelby lied quickly, pushing her dad from the kitchen.

"That's my little go-getter!" Mr. Watkins smiled, turning and leaving as Shelby forced a smile. Kendall walked in, looking worried.

"I've detected alien bio-signs," she warned them.

"Guys," Olivia rushed in. "I can't find Ivan," she told them, worried.

"There's no time to waste. Let's go," they got up and rushed off, dragging Koda away from his burger as he whimpered.

* * *

Vivix terrorised the civilians who were trying to flee along the bridge, looking up when they heard a yell.

"Stop!" Tyler yelled as Teddie blasted one to knock it away from a terrified young man. "Everyone get to safety!" he told the terrified people, who ran off. "Let's turn these green guys black and blue!" he called as he leapt into the air.

"Yeah!" the Rangers split up, fighting off the Vivix as best they could.

"Get out of here!" Teddie kicked one, but stumbled and fell to the ground. "Or maybe I will..." she groaned. "I'm so tired..." she complained, throwing an energy-ball. However, it lacked its usual brightness, and barely even phased the creature.

"Got your back Riley!" after being tossed around for a while, the Rangers regrouped, exhausted. "We may be sleepy, but together we can do this!" Tyler called as they inserted their Dino Chargers into their blasters.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" the Rangers fired the powerful attacks, destroying the Vivix.

"Sweet dreams Vivix!" Tyler laughed, letting himself fall over as the others sighed, just as tired.

"Uh, problem lads," Olivia cleared her throat, pointing to the stairs.

"More Vivix?" Tyler couldn't help but laugh weakly at the sight of more of the green-haired creatures ambling towards them.

"Oh, this _sucks_ ," Teddie whined. "Let's go!" she called, and they began to fight again, only to be knocked to the ground. Before the Vivix could do real damage, they were blasted from the stairs.

"Ivan!" Shelby smiled with relief as she saw the Gold Ranger walk down towards them. "Boy, are we glad to see you," she smiled.

"Good timing buddy," Tyler nodded, but Ivan didn't speak.

"Watch out!" Chase managed to knock Shelby out of the way and raise a shield in time to block Ivan's attacks that would have hit them.

"Why's Ivan shooting at us?" Riley gasped as the attacks bounced harmlessly off and exploded.

"Maybe he's sleep walking?" Tyler suggested.

"Must...vanquish you...monsters..." Ivan declared, slurring his words.

"He's asleep alright," Teddie groaned as Ivan staggered down the stairs, only to miss a step. He fell, and rolled down the rest of the steps and stopped at the bottom, snoring loudly.

"He must be having a nightmare like I had!" Shelby groaned.

"He must have touched one of those pillows," Tyler realised. "We gotta-" he stopped as Ivan suddenly sat up again, and pink smoke flew out of his helmet.

"Look, it just like with Shelby!" Koda gasped as it flew away.

"But he still isn't awake," Shelby said as she shook the snoring Gold Ranger.

"We should get him back to the base," Olivia told the others. They nodded, and hauled Ivan to his feet, dragging him along.

* * *

Kendall hurried out of the museum, feeling a sense of deja-vu as the Rangers helped Ivan out of Tyler's jeep. While they had demorphed, Ivan remained in his Gold suit, snoring loudly.

"Be careful guys," Riley spoke as they moved carefully.

"Ivan eat too many bronto burgers," Koda complained as he carried most of Ivan's weight.

"You can't wake him up?" Kendall asked, turning to Shelby as the others kept Ivan upright.

"No," Shelby shook her head. "We've tried everything, even magic," she looked to Chase and Teddie, who yawned. "A pillow must have caused him to fall asleep. We have to find it," Shelby told them.

"The last thing he was doing was..." Chase frowned as he thought about where Ivan had been.

"Getting bronto bread," Koda remembered.

"Koda!" Tyler barely managed to catch Ivan as Koda ran off, leaving Riley to carry most of the heavy knight's weight. They watched as Koda leapt into the back of the van that had carried the deliveries, sniffing it out.

"I found pillow!" he jumped out with the pink pillow in hand. He then tore it apart easily, and Ivan immediately demorphed as he woke up.

"What's all this hubbub?" he demanded, looking from Tyler to Riley as the group breathed a sigh of relief. He blinked rapidly, confused from sleep.

"That pillow put you to sleep," Kendall explained, frustrated that another had managed to fall victim to the alien's tricks.

"Thank you, my capable cromagnon-I mean caveman," Ivan corrected himself as he walked over and clapped a hand to Koda's shoulder. The Blue Ranger smiled back as the others laughed. Shelby's phone suddenly beeped, and she looked down in alarm.

"The test!" she gasped. "I have to go," she ran off.

"I can take you!" Riley volunteered, following her out.

"Be careful!" Kendall shouted after them. "Remember, don't fall asleep!" she warned. Riley nodded as he glanced back, and followed Shelby away.

"And for the rest of us...back to work," Olivia sighed.

"Yay," Teddie said flatly.

* * *

"I keep thinking to myself 'shift's over, I'm gonna get some sleep'," Olivia said as she put a chair onto a table. "But no, because of a sheep in a nightie, I have to stay awake for _another_ night," she complained.

"And we thought Teddie got cranky," Chase laughed, before glancing around as Heckyl approached. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hey," Heckyl smiled back, before pressing a pink pillow to Chase's head. In an instant, the Black Ranger was asleep, falling to the ground. Helpless, he could do nothing to stop Heckyl from taking the Black Energem around his neck.

"I'm not cranky," Olivia said, her back still to him. She then paused when she didn't hear a retort. "Chase?" before she could turn, the pillow pressed to her head as well, and her eyes slid shut.

As Heckyl lifted not only the Forest Energem, but the Red, Blue and Gold Energems as the other Rangers went down, Kendall walked in, her attention focused on her tablet. She didn't even register someone approaching until it was too late, and she went down as well, fast asleep.

"Hey guys! You better not be sleeping in there!" Teddie called from the kitchen. She walked out, and paused, her eyes going wide. "Guys?" she stared at the fallen Rangers, before a hand touched her shoulder. She looked around at Heckyl, and felt something soft against her head. Her eyelids immediately grew heavy, and she fell asleep, slumping in his grasp.

"Sleep tight Teddie," he murmured, lowering her to the ground gently. He paused for a moment as he surveyed her peaceful face, before shaking his head. "No more of this," Heckyl muttered, fishing her Energem out from under her jacket.

"I'll ask you nicely. Drop the Energem, and step away from her," he stiffened, and looked around with wide eyes to see Ari in the doorway with Xander.

"What? Oh, I-"

"Please, spare me the lies Heckyl," Ari cut him off before he could come up with a lie. He saw the other Energems in her hands.

"You know, when I said I had your back on this," Xander started, and Heckyl glanced to him, before his eyes were drawn to the phone-like device in his hand. "I thought you didn't like the guy for getting close to Teddie. This...well, I don't know why I'm ever surprised with you any more," he shook his head.

"Who are you two?" Heckyl straightened up, still holding the White Energem in his hand.

"What, you can't see the family resemblance?" Ari asked with mock innocence. His eyes darkened as realisation hit him, and he couldn't stop himself from glancing to Teddie, who was asleep at his feet on her side. "I'm going to ask one more time. Drop the Energem," Ari requested.

"Or you'll do what?" abandoning his pretence, Heckyl stood tall, and the air seemed to crackle with power. However, neither seemed impressed or even remotely afraid.

"Yeah Ari, what will we do?" Xander snorted.

"I've been feeling on edge around you a lot since we met, Heckyl," Ari told him. His blue eyes clouded with confusion, unable to remember her. "Oh, yeah, I forgot you wouldn't remember me. I _am_ the reason you can't remember where the base is," she shrugged.

"You?" Heckyl's gloved hands tightened into fists. He _knew_ he'd been there. It was the whole reason for his temporary amnesia. But since then, he'd not been able to recall where it was at all. "What power could you _possibly_ have against _me_?" he growled.

"Shall we?" Ari glanced to Xander.

"It'll be my pleasure to beat the snot out of the guy who's messed with my daughter," Xander nodded. Heckyl took a small step back in alarm as Xander entered a code on the device in his hand, and was suddenly coated in a green suit.

"You're a...Power Ranger?" Heckyl demanded.

"And we're taking you down," Ari let her own armour surround her, and she drew her sword. "This is the last time I'll ask you. Drop the Energem, or I'll cut your hand off and _take_ it from you," she vowed. The man facing them didn't reply, visibly shaking with anger. He could feel the power of the two facing him. To think that Teddie was their _child_ ; that she had that sort of power hidden inside, was insane to think. He was furious that he'd jumped the gun with his plan and allowed himself to get caught.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as more power filled the room, and his eyes kept darting to Ari, drawn to the power she was emitting naturally. They were both powerful, and a fight now would not go in his favour. Heckyl's grip on the White Energem tightened as he tried to think of a way out.

"Riley, you were right!" Shelby's voice echoed into the café, ending the tense silence. "I need to follow my passion! You know I-" she froze in the doorway as she saw Ari and Xander standing opposite Heckyl. "What's going on?" she asked slowly, and her eyes widened as she saw the other Rangers asleep around the room. "What happened to them?!" she demanded.

"He's put them to sleep with that pillow," Ari gestured to the pillow by Teddie's head, and held out the Energems to Shelby, who clutched them close.

"The pillow..." Shelby looked down at it, before back up at Heckyl as her eyes lit up with realisation. "You said the pillow was delivered...but _you_ gave me the pillow to cause me to fall asleep! You work for Snide!" she accused. Before Heckyl could speak, she'd grabbed her blaster and fired a shot at the pillow, destroying it. The Rangers all woke immediately, sitting up quickly.

"What's going on?" Teddie groaned as she put a hand to her head. She looked up, and the Rangers all got up slowly, seeing Shelby standing with Ari and Xander, her blaster levelled at Heckyl's chest. "What are you doing?" she questioned them.

"Heckyl's _not_ our friend," Shelby growled. "He made you all fall asleep, then stole your Energems," she revealed all but Teddie's Energem in her grasp.

"What?" Olivia frowned, confused.

"I bet that ever since you saved Teddie from that truck, you've been planning on getting close to the Rangers, to take their Energems," Ari accused mildly.

"Is this true?" Teddie asked quietly, but he didn't even look at her.

"I don't know what any of you are talking about," Heckyl denied. "You don't seem to have slept in days, you must be delirious," he insisted as he managed to worm around them.

"If it's not true, how about you hand over the Energem you still have?" Ari asked him, and Teddie's hand flew to her neck as she realised hers was missing too.

"I don't-"

"I told you to spare the lies. Hand it over," Ari told him. Heckyl turned, and stopped as he came face-to-face with two more blasters.

"I really wouldn't recommend it," Spencer warned him.

"SPD..." Heckyl growled as he saw the uniforms.

"Good timing Spence," Ari commented as Heckyl saw the resemblance between the one in gold, and Chase.

"Yeah, Bridge and I both got an alert you guys might be running into trouble about now," Spencer glanced briefly to the one in red beside him.

"Do you really work for Snide?" Teddie demanded, and Heckyl finally met her gaze.

"No," he started, and flinched as blue light started to shine from the tattoo on his neck. "I don't... _work_...for Snide," his voice grew strained as he seemed in pain.

"Something's wrong," Bridge put a hand to his head.

"Bridge?" Spencer glanced to him, and cried out in alarm when the Red Ranger slumped, blood running from his nose as Ari felt the dark energy grow as well. There was a flash of blue, and where Heckyl had been standing, Snide now stood.

"I _am_ Snide!" he cackled as everyone stared in horror. "You got lucky today, but not lucky enough!" he held up the White Energem.

"No!" Teddie cried out, running at him, but Snide blasted the ground around him, kicking up a cloud of smoke, and vanished. "My...my Energem..." Teddie sank to the ground, feeling sick.

"Bridge, you okay buddy?" Spencer shook Bridge, and the Red Ranger groaned.

"I would be if you weren't shaking me," he complained.

"Sorry dude, but Annie would kill me if you got hurt," Spencer pointed out as he helped him up. Bridge wiped the blood away from his nose.

"That energy, it was so dark..." Bridge murmured. "It just overwhelmed me for a moment. I'm fine," he grinned.

"Good to hear," Spencer smiled back with relief. Despite what he said about Annie, he did regard Bridge as one of his closest friends, and he didn't want to see him hurt either. They looked around as Ari and Xander demorphed, looking worried.

"Teddie? You okay?" Koda asked gently as they all looked at the White Ranger. She didn't answer him, her head lowered. Her fists then clenched tightly.

"No-one makes a fool out of me!" she yelled furiously, pushing herself up and running off.

"Teddie!" Chase shouted.

"We have a problem," Kendall warned the team before he could follow her. "Riley's heading for the junkyard. I bet he's asleep," she told them.

"We have to wake him up! If he hands over his Energem, we'll be down two Rangers," Olivia realised.

"Let's go!" Chase called, and they rushed off.

"Thank you, for coming," Kendall smiled to Spencer, who grinned back at her.

"No problem, Ms. Morgan. We're glad to help," he nodded.

"How'd you know we'd be having problems?" Xander asked the two SPD Rangers as they stayed behind. The two grinned in amusement.

"Dad, you're talking to not one, but two psychics," Spencer pointed out.

"I saw it, in my dream," Bridge explained. "Of that guy taking the Energems, and you two interfering," he told them.

"Then I saw it as well, and we looked up this Heckyl guy. He's bad news," Spencer shook his head. "So we thought we'd give you a hand. Looks like we didn't make it in time though," he sighed.

"If you hadn't, he might have tried to fight us, and the Rangers would have gotten caught in the cross-fire," Ari pointed out with a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "We should try and find Teddie before she does something stupid," she suggested.

"Oh, like someone else we know," Xander commented, and flinched as she punched him.

* * *

Riley stood in front of Fury and Curio, his Green Energem shining in his hand. Fury was laughing, and Curio dancing and singing as he waved a pillow in the air. It was blasted from his hand, making him shriek in alarm as it scorched his plush hand, and more blasts missed Riley, hitting both Curio and Fury and knocking them away from him.

The Green Ranger came too, shaking his head to clear it, and his eyes widened as he realised just how close he'd come to losing his Energem.

"Nice try," he growled as he returned it to his necklace.

"If you won't do as you're told, I'll have to destroy you!" Fury roared, and the two began to fight. Riley flinched as pink smoke flooded out of his ear, allowing Nightmare to make his escape. The others raced over as Riley was kicked to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Riley, you alright?" Olivia called as they helped him back up. In front of them, Curio returned to Fury's side, as Nightmare reappeared.

"You deal with those Rangers," Fury ordered, turning and storming off.

"Time to fulfill my dream of getting an Energem!" Nightmare bleated.

"We're gonna make your dream a nightmare," Shelby told him. "It's Morphin' Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!"

"Someone pinch me and wake me up!" Nightmare wailed as the Rangers ran at them.

"Together guys, let's end this nightmare!" Riley called. The Rangers all cut through the sheep-like monster, making him shriek in pain, before they grabbed their Chargers.

"Dino Morpher Blast!"

"Ptera Bolt, Final Strike!"

"Final Slash!" with the three different moves, they destroyed the monster.

"Magna beam!" a moment later, he'd grown much taller. "Naptime's over!" Nightmare laughed.

"Better call for backup!"

"Summon Zords!" the Rangers summoned their Zords, including the Plesio, and activated the Dino Super Drive.

"Attack Plesio!" using the Plesio Zord, Tyler slammed into the monster, making him bleat. As he fell over, Tyler activated the Plesio Charge Megazord. Ivan activated the Ptera Charge Megazord, and the others formed the Stego-Raptor formation on the Dino Charge Megazord.

"Let's take this lad out," Olivia grinned, cracking her knuckles.

" _Three_?" Nightmare yelped as he sat up. "I hope this is only a dream!" he whimpered.

"More like a nightmare, for you!" Olivia smirked.

"Ptera Lightning Blitz!"

"That tickles!" Nightmare giggled as the lightning passed through him harmlessly.

"Plesio Rocket Punch!" Tyler tried, and the monster cried out as the attack was much more powerful. He was thrown to the ground with a cry of pain.

"It's time to put this nightmare to bed!"

"Let's do it!" the Rangers cheered.

"Going up!" they leapt into the air as Nightmare got back to his feet and looked up at them.

"Dino Superdrive Sabre!" Shelby called on their combined Charger powers.

"Raptor Zord Final Flame Strike!" they spun through the air, and cut through Nightmare, destroying him.

"Monster extinct!"

* * *

Teddie walked through the trees, her fists still clenched tightly with her anger.

She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid. Her Energem was gone and it was her fault. Her hand went to her necklace, which without the Energem attached felt useless.

Her fist slammed against a tree as she passed it, tears stinging at her eyes.

"It's dangerous to wander here without your powers," she stopped, looking up in surprise to see Heckyl facing her, a blank expression across his face. "Leave now, or I'll destroy you," he warned. Teddie didn't move, or reply as she stared at him. "What are you waiting for?" Heckyl questioned, before being forced to move as an energy-ball came at his face.

"I want my Energem back, Heckyl," Teddie's head lifted, the tears gone as she glared at him defiantly. After the initial surprise of the strange attack, he gave a small laugh.

"You're even crazier than I am, if you think I'm going to hand it over," he told her, his voice taking a dangerous tone. Teddie fell into a fighting stance.

"I'm not here to chat," she told him, and he sighed, moving too. As he did, Teddie suddenly tossed more energy-balls at him. He threw out his hands quickly in response, and blue light burst from them, destroying the orbs in a small explosion. When the smoke cleared, Teddie was gone. Frowning, he looked around, and was forced to move as vines shot at him from a tree nearby. Teddie then appeared in front of him, kicking him back. "You were wrong, y'know," she told him, seeming calm, but there was a storm raging in her voice.

"About what?" Heckyl questioned as he straightened up again.

"Coming here without my powers. You might have my Energem," a white and green aura began to surround Teddie as she moved slowly. "But I'm _far_ from powerless!" she called on her Nightingale spirit, that rose from her body and spun through the air. Teddie then rushed Heckyl again, who dodged her attack, and she moved to avoid his as blue energy crackled in his hand again. It cut through the spirit, which shrieked in pain and fell through the air before recovering.

"Too bad all those powers can't give you the skill to use them," Heckyl smirked at her as Teddie felt the pain of her injured animal spirit. Anger blazed in her eyes, and she rushed him again, only to disappear right before he could hit her. She burst out of the ground behind him, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. She then shoved him forwards, and vines wrapped around him, completely hiding him from view.

Teddie took a moment to catch her breath, rubbing her shoulder. Her eyes then widened as there was a pulse of power, and the vines wilted, before turning to dust as Heckyl unleashed a much greater level of power on them. His eyes flashed dangerously as he turned to Teddie, letting his hands fall to his sides. When the nightingale flew at him again, he used his power again to cut through her, and there was a shriek as she vanished, and Teddie staggered, a hand to her chest, which gave Heckyl an opening.

Teddie cried out as she was tossed to the ground, and as she got to her feet, she was pinned to a tree, with Heckyl holding her wrists against the tree to stop her from moving. She struggled, but he was far stronger than her. "There's no point in fighting anymore. Without your Energem, you're weak," he told her. Teddie glared at him furiously.

" _Let. Me. Go_ ," she seethed. He watched her wordlessly for a moment, before his painfully tight grasp on her wrists slackened, and he let her drop her hands down. For another moment, there was nothing but their heavy breathing, and blood trickled from a cut above Heckyl's left eyebrow as Teddie was covered in dirt and bruises. "Why..." Teddie's whisper was followed by the fury in her melting away, unable to hold onto it. "Why me?" she asked, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I..." Heckyl started, but found himself unable to give any excuse or lie. Teddie's eyes widened a little as his hand lifted, and for a moment she thought he was going to strike her, but instead he pushed her hair from her face, tucking it back behind her ear before his hand lingered on her cheek. It moved up, resting on her neck, and Teddie felt heat rising where he touched her, as she didn't move. Her hands were free, she could easily hit him and get away, but she couldn't bring herself to. Part of her was telling her to stop him, to push away while she still could, but she made no effort to do so. He paused, and she realised he was waiting for her to shove him off, but she still stayed completely still, not breaking eye contact.

After another long moment of hesitation that felt like forever, Heckyl leaned in and kissed her softly. A small sigh escaped Teddie's lips as her hands slid up and curled around the collar of his coat, pulling him closer. Whatever quiet voice that tried to question what the hell she was doing, was drowned out as he pressed in closer, deepening the kiss and searing his touch into Teddie's memory. His other hand slid into her hair, angling her up a little more. Her hands then moved up, brushing his neck but avoiding the tattoo behind his ear. Not that he even realised, as her cooler touch still burned him and left him needing more.

When they finally pulled apart, lungs burning for air, the two looked at each other, neither knowing just what had happened. Heckyl found himself drawing closer again, before hearing a chime in his pocket. He could only keep Snide unaware for so long. He immediately took a step back, and Teddie's hands drew back as well as she watched him wordlessly, her breathing still uneven.

"That wasn't what I came here to do," she murmured, her fingers touching her bruised lips. Heckyl turned, starting to walk away before he wasn't able to.

"The next time we meet, I _will_ destroy you, Teddie," he vowed, only to stop when he heard her laugh and glance back.

"Good luck, when I have this," Teddie smirked back, a vine beside her with the White Energem wrapped tightly in it. His eyes widened, wondering just when she'd managed to swipe it from him. "Those vines were never meant to hold you, you know. Just distract you while I picked your pockets," she winked as she took her Energem back. The vine started to grow, becoming a tree as he stared at her, unable to believe she'd outsmarted him.

"I will get it back, make no mistake," he warned her, but made no move to do so now.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Teddie retorted, and touched the tree. She vanished, and he cursed, unable to believe that the one Energem he'd managed to get had slipped through his fingers.

* * *

Running through the forest, Teddie's lungs burned, but she didn't stop. The White Energem was clutched tightly in her hand, but the relief of getting it back wasn't what Teddie was feeling at that moment.

She let out a cry as her boot lodged on a rock, and she tumbled to the ground, barely holding onto the Energem.

"Ow..." Teddie groaned from the leaves, and rolled onto her back. "This day _sucks_ ," she declared.

"Seems to be," she let out a startled cry, and sat up quickly. Sitting in the low branches of a nearby tree, was a strange looking creature grinning at her with multiple layers of sharp teeth. She then sighed, shaking her head.

"Hey Phineas," Teddie got to her feet, only to stumble and fall over as her ankle protested. " _Seriously_?" she groaned, and Phineas jumped down.

"Looks bad. Come on," he helped her up and supported her. "Let's get you to Althea, I think she's at Rootcore today," he helped Teddie limp along towards the massive tree in the middle of the magical dimension. "So, how'd you get all these?" Teddie flinched as he poked a bruise.

"Phineas!" she snapped.

"Oh, sorry," Phineas apologised, and Teddie sighed.

"No, I'm sorry," she looked down. "Today's just been...hectic," Teddie murmured.

"Seems to happen a lot with your family. Hectic days," Phineas considered. Teddie didn't reply, letting him guide her into Rootcore.

"Teddie!" Althea gasped, dropping the bottle she'd been carrying. "What happened?" she rushed over, ignoring the crash and the waft of smoke that rose from the shattered remains. Teddie didn't answer her, but let her guide her over to a seat so that Althea could tend to her injuries. "Thanks, Phineas," the Lunar Knight smiled thankfully to the Troblin, who had been helping their family for a lot longer than they'd originally known.

Teddie winced as Althea smeared a salve across her cheek, but didn't look up from the White Energem in her hands. "Does Ari know you're here?" Althea asked her gently as the smell of roses flooded Teddie's senses. The White Ranger shook her head.

"Oh, I'll call her," Diana volunteered, having been cleaning up her mother's mess. She rushed off to contact her adoptive sister, and Althea continued to clean Teddie's wounds.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Althea asked her gently as she bandaged Teddie's shoulder.

"My Energem got stolen. I took it back," she answered quietly, and Althea sighed, sitting down opposite her.

"Teddie," she spoke firmly but quietly. "Why didn't you wait for your team?" she asked, and Teddie looked away, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I..." tears stung at her eyes. "Because it was my fault," she told her, her voice quivering. Althea frowned, not understanding. "Heckyl, he...he tricked me. And he got my Energem, he would have gotten almost everyone's, but mum and dad stopped him. But he escaped with mine. I had to make it right," Teddie shook her head. "But then he...and I..." the tears started to run down her face.

"Teddie?" Althea watched her in alarm as Teddie furiously brushed the tears away, but they just kept coming.

"I...I'm sorry..." her body heaved with sobs, and Althea pulled her in close. Teddie only cried harder, and Althea wondered just what had happened.

* * *

 **I blame my Bleach fics for the uhhh...tension in this chapter.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	5. A Date With Danger

**Finished another chapter earlier than I expected, so thought I may as well update!  
**

 **Another fun one to write!**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 5: A Date With Danger

"I cannot believe you'd be so reckless!" Kendall scolded furiously as she stood in front of Teddie. The White Ranger was looking at her feet, letting Kendall scold her without a word of argument. She knew she deserved it for what she'd done. "You could have been killed! Without your Energem, you wouldn't have even been able to Morph," she pointed out. The other Rangers just watched, all of them in agreement.

Teddie didn't answer her, keeping her eyes on the ground. Her ankle, as well as her shoulder and chest, were bandaged up from her fight with Heckyl only a few days ago to reclaim her Energem. She'd stayed at Rootcore at first, unable to face returning to her team, but knew she couldn't hide forever.

"Why didn't you wait for us? We could have taken him together," Tyler told her, softer than their stern Purple Ranger.

"Because it was my Energem. It was my fault," Teddie looked up at him, finding her voice.

"Ari," Kendall whirled around to Ari, who was sitting nearby with Spencer, who had stuck around. "Surely you have something to say?" she questioned.

"Nope," Ari shook her head with a shrug. "I'd be a total hypocrite if I told her off for it. I know I'd have done the same. I _have_ done the same," she corrected herself. Teddie found herself smiling a little as Ari smiled at her. "Don't get me wrong, I wish you hadn't inherited my reckless streak, any of you," she glanced to Chase and Spencer as well. "But I know what it's like," she said. Kendall just groaned as Spencer couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Is that why we don't discuss how one compartment of the Solar Streak looks _way_ newer than the rest?" Spencer asked, making Ari stiffen.

"We _don't_ talk about it," she whispered, looking haunted.

"Look," Kendall pulled off her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Teddie, I'm glad you got your Energem back. But you _cannot_ run off by yourself like that again. Do you understand?" she asked the White Ranger.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," Teddie sighed, genuine in her apology. Kendall sighed again, seeing the dejection in the girl's expression. It was a far cry to how she'd been after pouring a milkshake on a girl's head for insulting Arianna.

"Okay. The café opens soon," Kendall looked to the others, who nodded and split off as Teddie took a seat, her ankle still hurting.

"You know, I could heal you if you want," Ari offered, taking a seat beside her.

"No, thank you. I deserve it," Teddie shook her head. Ari sighed.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry Teddie," the White Ranger looked up at her, confused. "For wiping his memory. I know-" she cut Teddie off before she could try and argue. "In the end it was the right thing to do. But at the time I hurt you because I didn't trust your judgement. That's why I'm sorry, because I didn't have your back. Next time there's an issue, I'll talk to you first, instead of taking matters into my own hands," the former Ranger told her, smiling crookedly. Teddie looked away, before sighing.

"Thanks mum," she smiled softly, hugging her. Ari hugged her back, glad she'd been able to repair the damage before it became lasting.

"Just try not to be too much like me, okay?" Ari requested, and Teddie couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Yeah, I'll try," she nodded.

"Where's Arianna? I had something to tell her," Ari looked around, but found no sign of the Mercurian.

"Oh, the Prince is in town," Teddie grinned, and Ari chuckled.

"Oh yeah? Now that's going to be _very_ fun," she smirked. Teddie's own grin faded, wondering what Ari meant.

"Mum?" Spencer suddenly appeared back in the lab. He held his Morpher in his hand, the link still open as he looked worried. "We might have a problem," he warned.

* * *

Humming a tune under her breath, Arianna waited patiently in town by the park, humming one of Teddie's songs that she'd heard the other girl practising during the evenings.

"That's not a familiar tune," she smiled, stopping her humming, and turned to face Philip. "What is it?" he asked her.

"One of Teddie's songs," Arianna explained, before allowing him to pull her close. "How was your flight?" she asked as a blush spread across her face at their close proximity.

"Not fast enough," he murmured, kissing her softly. Arianna couldn't help her giggle, putting her arms around his neck as his went around her waist to pull her closer. As they pulled away, Arianna bit her lip and blushed even darker, making his smile grow.

"People are watching," she warned him in a quiet voice. He glanced around, seeing a few people shoot them glances for being so brazen. One old lady clucked her tongue as she walked past them, looking disgusted. Philip let his hands drop, disguising his laugh as a cough.

"My apologies," he murmured, and Arianna shook her head, still smiling.

"You humans are so caught up in appearances," she teased, releasing him before taking his hand.

"I always forget," Philip commented as they started walking.

"Forget what?" Arianna asked, glancing up at him.

"That you're not..." he trailed off, and Arianna arched an eyebrow.

"Human?" she finished for him. Philip nodded. "Does that matter to you?" she asked him in a quieter voice.

"Of course not!" the Graphite Ranger spoke louder than intended, earning a few looks from passers by. "Arianna, you know I don't care about that," he lowered his voice after a glance around, stopping her from walking on. "I never have. I like you for you," Philip told her firmly as Arianna sighed.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, letting him pull her into a hug. She relaxed a little, and looked up. "I missed you," she admitted softly, and he kissed her forehead.

"I missed you too," he told her. "You know you're always welcome to join me in Zandar," Philip told her, but she immediately looked away. He sighed as he realised what was on her mind. "This is about my father," he gathered. Arianna pulled away, turning away so he couldn't see her face.

"Philip, he hates me," she told him.

"Just give him more time," Philip pleaded with her, reaching out to take her hand, but she pulled away. "Arianna..."

"I am," Arianna didn't look at him, not able to face his stunned expression. "But I can't do that to you. I can't come between you and your dad," she told him firmly.

"Whoever said you would?" not backing down, Philip took her hand. "I care about you a great deal Arianna, I won't let you run away from this," he said. Arianna stared at her feet, tears stinging at her eyes.

"I can't!" she pulled away. "I can't do that. I don't want you hurt because of me," before Philip could stop her, she ran off.

"Arianna!" he shouted, running after her.

* * *

Walking through town, both Olivia and Chase were deep in thought.

"Some company we are," Olivia suddenly spoke with a soft laugh.

"Sorry," Chase sighed. "Just worried about Teddie," he admitted.

"Me too. But she'll be okay," Olivia smiled at him, taking his hand. Chase nodded, but his concerned expression didn't fade. "Of all the people she could like," she shook her head.

"Honestly, I'm not surprised at all," Chase admitted. "Teddie's always been kinda weird like that. But I'm going to kill him for leading her on like that," he muttered.

"I don't know," he glanced at Olivia, confused. "I don't think he did. Do you not remember what he was like when he lost his memory? He couldn't take his eyes off her," the Forest Ranger pointed out.

"Either way, I'm going to kill him," Chase shook his head, making Olivia smile in amusement and lean into him as they walked.

"You're sweet," she told him.

"Course I am," Chase pushed his anger towards Heckyl aside and put his arm around her. They kept walking, until they heard explosions, and looked around curiously. "Come on," he told Olivia, and the two started to run in the direction of the noises.

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the pair Morphed as they saw more explosions setting off, and met up with Tyler, who had also been nearby.

"Look!" Olivia spotted Fury nearby, cackling maniacally as he watched the buildings blaze.

"Fury! Hold it right there!" Tyler yelled as Chase fired a shot.

"Ah, you're just in time!" Fury laughed, easily deflecting the attack. "For your own destruction! Today, you'll fight Singe!" he declared. As if on cue, a new monster walked out of the smoke, chuckling low. He was tall and emanated power, resembling a candle blazing

"Who's Singe?" Chase frowned as a shiver ran down his spine.

"He must have attacked the city," Tyler realised, frowning. "What are you up to?" he questioned as Singe surveyed them, looking unamused.

"So, these are the so-called _heroes_? Heroes give me such a headache," Singe complained, barely even looking at them.

"Guys, careful," Chase warned. "I don't think this guy is a typical monster," he said quietly. Singe chuckled.

"There's only one way to cure a hero headache; crush them!" he declared.

"Just try it," Tyler challenged, ready to fight. Singe drew his weapon from his side; an unusually shaped blaster. He fired it three times, and the three leapt out of the way.

"Move Fury!" Singe snapped, shoving the cat out of the way as he kept his blaster on the Rangers, continuing to fire. The three ducked behind a pillar, but it began to crumble.

"You're hitting everything _but_ the Rangers!" Fury snapped. Singe ignored him, and the pillar crumbled. Chase raised a shield, but the blasts cut through it and the three hit the ground, their suits smoking and their bodies aching.

"How's that?" Singe smirked as he stopped shooting. The barrel smoked as he chuckled.

"What kind of blaster is that?" Tyler groaned as they got up.

"It's called a Last Blaster, cause it's the last blaster you'll ever see!" Singe taunted.

"We gotta take cover!" Chase yelled. The three rushed for another pillar as Singe laughed, easily knocking aside the Black Ranger's shot.

"A game of Hide and Go Blaster," Singe mused, chasing after them. Chase raised another shield, but Singe just kept shooting, and it cracked as easily as the pillar. One shot broke through, and Olivia cried out as it hit her across the chest. She hit the ground, demorphing, and Singe laughed.

"One down..." he approached slowly as she tried to get up and failed.

"Oli no!" Chase rushed in front of her quickly as Singe levelled his blaster at her and fired. He flinched, ready for it to break through his shield, only for it to bounce off and narrowly miss Singe's head.

"Oh?" if the alien was surprised, he didn't show it.

"How?" Chase wondered. The blaster had been so powerful it had cut through his last two easily. He shivered at the strange sensation that filled his body, foreign but not unwelcome. "What is going on?" he questioned, looking down at his hands.

"Chase, come on!" Tyler had helped Olivia up, and moved her to safety. The feeling faded, and so did the shield.

"I'm not quite sure what you did there, but I doubt it really matters," Singe shrugged, and aimed the blaster at the Black Ranger.

"Wrong!" Chase shook his head. "Dino Armour X, ready!" he activated the powerful jaw-like weapons that covered his hands, and he rushed Singe. "Time to teach you a lesson! Spiral Attack!" he flew through the air spinning, but Singe raised a hand and blocked it easily, laughing. He forced Chase back, leaving him open to attack.

"My turn," Chase cried out as Singe shot him in the chest.

"Chase!" Olivia cried, getting to her feet and immediately falling to her knees as the pain made her vision swim.

"No more heroes or hero headaches," Singe commented as Tyler ran to Olivia's side. "Huh?" he looked up quickly.

"Wrong! Lots more heroes!" Riley shouted as he and Ivan landed beside Singe and attacked with their swords.

"Are you alright?" Shelby asked as she and Koda helped up Chase.

"Yeah," Chase nodded. "Oli!" he turned to the Forest Ranger as Philip checked her as well.

"I'm fine," she nodded, but the burn had cut through her shirt, leaving a wound.

"Who is this candlestick?" Ivan questioned as he and Riley stood in front of their friends protectively.

"Let me show you," Singe chuckled. He suddenly drew a blade from his blaster, and a beam of energy flew through the air and slammed into the Green and Gold Rangers. They yelled as they flipped through the air, landing on their fronts as Singe laughed.

"This guy is tough, but we can beat him," Tyler said confidently as the Rangers still Morphed gathered together to help Riley and Ivan up.

"My headache's getting worse," Singe complained.

"You're gonna have more than a headache! Take him down!" Tyler yelled. Singe sighed as the Rangers ran at him, and he raised his blaster.

"Flame Flare!" he activated a powerful move, and they were forced to dive out of the way as a massive golden blast of flame energy cut through the space they'd been standing, tearing up the ground. "I might have to destroy you another day. My head is killing me!" Singe complained again, a hand to his head.

"Forget your stupid headache! Finish them off!" Fury roared as he stormed over, having been watching. Singe just chuckled.

" _You're_ telling _me_ what to do? You've been here millions of years, and haven't recovered one Energem," Singe taunted the cat, who snarled furiously at him.

"I'll get rid of your headache," Fury volunteered, raising his sword. "By getting rid of your head!" he swung, and Singe was forced to move to avoid the attacks that came at him with a purpose.

"Now's our chance! Shelby, Koda!" Tyler called to the pair.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" the two fired their shots, but Singe grabbed Fury.

"Let's go!" he shouted, and they vanished before the pink and blue attacks could strike them down.

"They vanished!" Philip frowned as they looked around. Tyler sighed.

"We almost had them," he groaned.

* * *

"Honestly, I'm just a walking health pack to you, aren't I?" Ari teased as she healed the burn across Olivia's chest. The girl flinched as the wound began to heal at a rapid pace, seeming like it wasn't there to begin with.

"We appreciate the ability," Riley chuckled.

"Course you do," Ari grinned.

"Hey, mum?" she hummed to indicate that she was listening to Chase as he spoke up. "Your shields. Have they ever, you know, changed in power?" he asked, and she glanced at him.

"With the sun, yeah," she nodded, wondering where he was going with it.

"I don't mean like that," the Black Ranger shook his head. "I mean like..." he paused, trying to think of a way to phrase it. "When we were out there, that guy Singe, his weapon cut through my shield like it was nothing. But when I defended Olivia, it bounced off like the attack was weaker, but it felt like the shield was stronger," he admitted. Ari paused, seeming deep in thought, before leaning back, her glowing fading as Olivia looked down to find the burn completely gone.

"Chase," she crouched in front of him, meeting his gaze. "Think back to that moment. How did you feel?" Ari asked him gently. Chase frowned.

"I felt..." he trailed off, glancing to the others, aware that they were listening. "I..." he shook his head and thought about it. The moment he thought Singe would finish Olivia off.

His dark eyes then widened in alarm, and he leapt to his feet, staring at his hands as they began to glow, and the strange warmth from before flooded his body. "What?" he inhaled sharply, and the glowing flickered before fading.

"So Joe was right," he looked at Ari as she straightened up.

"What's going on? How Chase glow?" Koda asked, baffled. They'd known for some time that Chase and Teddie lacked the ability that Ari had gained when she'd become an Overdrive Ranger.

"Honestly, I haven't a clue," Ari admitted with a chuckle. "I can't even begin to explain our powers. Rose might, I'll get in touch with her," she grabbed her phone as Chase summoned the glowing again, laughing a little.

"Urgh," he glanced to Teddie, who was watching him nearby. "Now you may as well be Spencer's twin," she rolled her eyes, but then grinned, and Chase grinned back, relieved. For a moment he'd been worried she'd be jealous. It was no secret that both of them had questioned why they lacked the full powers that Spencer had inherited from Ari.

"Please, I'm way more good looking," he smirked.

"I heard that," Spencer called over, having been speaking with Kendall.

"Thanks Rose," Ari walked back over. "I'll come visit you tomorrow, cool?" she asked, and smiled. "Sure. Here, she wants to talk to you," Ari held out her phone, and Chase took it. "Hey Ty, come with," the Red Ranger frowned, but followed Ari away.

* * *

"Who's this Rusty guy?" Shelby asked curiously as Tyler told her what Ari had said.

"He and my dad were on the same expedition when my dad went missing," Tyler was practically bouncing on the spot. "This could be the breakthrough I've been waiting for!" he told her with a bright smile.

"If it means finding out what happened to your dad, you _have_ to meet this guy!" the Pink Ranger exclaimed, excited for him as well. Tyler nodded and leapt over the counter, and she handed him his backpack. "Good luck Tyler," she smiled.

"Thanks Shelby," her eyes widened and a blush filled her face as he kissed her cheek and rushed off.

"Aww, so cute," Shelby turned and hit Teddie as the White Ranger walked past, laughing.

"You're not funny," she grumbled.

"I'm hilarious," Teddie turned and grinned to her. "You just don't see the funny side because you guys are just _too cute_ ," she teased, and darted off as Shelby started for her. The Pink Ranger then sighed, watching Teddie take a customer's order.

"Worried too huh?" she glanced to Olivia, who was leaning on the counter.

"She's too happy," Shelby nodded.

"Yup. Must be rough for her," Olivia sighed, worried for their friend. "All we can do is stick with her and I guess, dodge the topic," she shrugged, hoping that Teddie would be okay.

* * *

"Your dad was the best adventurer that I've ever met," the older man grinned as he led Tyler and Ari through the caves he was in the middle of exploring. "He found some really amazing things," he smiled.

"So, where did you last see my dad?" Tyler asked curiously.

"Uh..." Rusty hesitated. "We were exploring a huge cave network. Mack was certain there was something amazing inside, and he was never wrong, just like your gramps," Tyler smiled a little.

"You got that right," Ari agreed, thinking back to the reason she even knew Mack and his family.

"One night, the crew had gone home, your dad and a couple of us were deep in the cave, deeper than any of our maps showed. There was an earthquake, and I almost fell," Rusty's expression was haunted as he thought about it. "Your dad, and James, they saved me, pulled me up off the ledge, but then the cave collapsed around them. I know it's thanks to them that I'm still here," Ari frowned.

"James?" she repeated, and Rusty nodded.

"Yeah, he was there too," Rusty nodded. Ari leaned forwards, deep in thought.

"How'd I not know there was someone else there?" she wondered.

"They could've gotten out, right?" Tyler asked hopefully, knowing the story didn't sound optimistic.

"The caves went for miles and miles, anything's possible," Rusty agreed.

"If anyone can find a way out, it's my dad," Tyler's eyes shone with hope, making the man smile.

"You are your father's son, that's for sure," he chuckled. Tyler smiled, and stood up, grabbing his backpack. "Hey, that...gem you have?" both Tyler and Ari paused as Rusty's eyes locked onto the Red Energem hanging from Tyler's neck. "Can I see that?" he asked, standing up. Tyler frowned.

"Uh...yeah," seeing no reason to distrust him, Tyler handed over his Energem.

"Where'd you find this?" Rusty asked, holding it up in the light. The Energem shone, not as brightly as it did in Tyler's possession, but still brightly.

"Just on one of my hikes. It seemed unique," he shrugged, brushing it off and hoping Rusty did too.

"That, my friend, is a once in a lifetime kind of find," Rusty laughed. "Really something," he told Tyler, who smiled a little. He had no idea.

"Thanks Rusty," Tyler took back his Energem and clipped it back around his neck.

"Yeah, thanks for talking to us," Ari smiled as she stood up too, eager to be out of the cave. She still wasn't a fan of being underground.

"Right," Rusty nodded, watching the pair leave.

"Did you know there was someone else down there?" Ari asked Tyler, who shook his head, thinking about it.

"No, I never realised. But..." he glanced to Ari. "Now that I think about it, there was another guy with my dad, the day I saw him in the park, when I made that wish," Tyler told her. "They split up, I didn't even think about it, I just..." he trailed off with a frustrated sigh.

"You saw your dad for the first time in 10 years Tyler," Ari put a hand to his shoulder. "You're allowed to get caught up in the moment," she smiled softly. "And hey, we now have more information than we had before. We'll find him," she told Tyler, who nodded.

"Yeah. You're right," he smiled softly.

"Course I am," Ari chuckled.

* * *

Swinging idly in the playground, Arianna sighed heavily, wondering what to do. She hadn't meant to lose it with Philip about his father, but she had, and she couldn't take it back.

"Maybe it's for the best," she considered aloud. "I'm not important. Just another alien trying to be human..." Arianna repeated the cruel words that she'd overheard.

"Now I know that isn't true," she jumped, gasping in alarm as she almost fell backwards off the swing. "Oh, sorry," the older man apologised, standing beside her.

"Oscar..." Arianna recognised the man tasked with being Philip's bodyguard. The Prince had protested, but his father hadn't backed down; not if he insisted on continuing to return to a city where he'd been attacked by a monster.

"Hey 'Anna," the older Zandarian man smiled warmly, taking a seat on the swing beside hers. He stood out, wearing a suit and sunglasses, which almost made Arianna smile. "Finally cracked, huh? The Prince asked me to find you," he told her gently as he pulled off the sunglasses.

"I'm an idiot," Arianna sighed, looking down.

"No you're not," Oscar chided patiently. "Well, except for thinking running off like this would make Philip like you any less," he chuckled, and Arianna blushed.

"I'm so worried. I heard his dad threaten him. I don't want him to lose his family just because he's with me," she admitted. Tears clung to her lashes as she thought about her visit to Zandar.

"The king is many things, 'Anna, but he isn't crazy," Oscar told her. "He'll come around, you just have to keep fighting," he said. Arianna didn't reply. "Do you want to keep fighting? Or are you giving up on him?" he asked, and Arianna's eyes widened as she realised what running away would do. Her heart leapt into her throat as she looked up to meet Oscar's grey eyes.

"No, I can't!" she exclaimed, horrified. "I can't lose him, I-" she stopped, putting her hands to her mouth. Oscar chuckled.

"Pretty sure he does too, kid," he said, and Arianna's blush grew. "You know, he had terrible nightmares for a while, when he come home a while ago. Could barely sleep, but wouldn't talk about it with anyone," Oscar confessed, his smile dropping a little as Arianna stared at him. "Then you visited, and his nightmares just...stopped," he shrugged.

"He never told me..." the girl murmured.

"Probably just didn't want to worry you," Oscar told her. "So? Are you going to fight for him?" he pressed.

"I..." she hesitated, before her grip on the chains tightened. "I-"

"Found you!" the two looked up in surprise at the unfamiliar voice.

"What?" Oscar gasped as Arianna stared in horror at the approaching figure.

"I've been looking for you, Mercurian," Singe smirked, his blaster aimed at her. "I hear you're quite close to the Rangers. You're the perfect bait!" he declared.

"Rangers?" Oscar repeated, not understanding what the strange alien wanted with Arianna. He stood, and moved in front of her protectively, and Singe sighed.

"Another hero..." Singe complained. "My headache's back already," he grumbled, a hand to his head. "And I know the best way to get rid of it!" he moved his blaster and fired at Oscar, only for Arianna to shove the man aside.

"'Anna!" Oscar hit the ground with a grunt, and Arianna threw out her arm. Her Mercurian powers kicked in and met the blast with a jet of silver. A small explosion tossed both back, and Arianna landed in the sand with Oscar, both of them scorched.

"Not bad," Singe remained standing, chuckling. "But you're no match for me sweetie, so let's go," he approached, only to glance to his side and leap back to avoid another blast.

"Stay away from them," Philip stood in front of the pair, his blaster aimed at Singe.

"Oh?" Singe chuckled.

"Your highness, don't!" Oscar tried to get up, but winced in pain and fell back down.

" _Oh,_ now I know who you are," Singe nodded in recognition. "You're the reason I was able to figure out about that sweet Mercurian being the Rangers weak point," he chuckled, bouncing his blaster over his shoulder.

"Me?" Philip frowned, confused.

"The moment she's in trouble, you'll step right into any trap," Singe taunted him, and aimed his blaster at Philip suddenly.

"No!" Arianna pushed herself up and used her powers to block Singe's strike, and it shoved her into Philip.

"Arianna, you need to get out of here," he told her, but she shook her head.

"I won't leave you, not again," Arianna insisted, holding onto him stubbornly.

"Of all the times to change your mind," Philip couldn't help but smile softly back at her. "Stay back then," he told her, and Arianna glanced to Oscar.

"But-"

"We don't have much choice," Philip pushed Arianna behind him and faced Singe. "You're right about me protecting her, but just because I'm in your so-called trap doesn't mean you've won, Singe," he warned the alien, who sighed.

"You hero types, all the same," he complained. "I'll just destroy you and my headache will be gone," Singe decided.

"ENERGISE, HA!" Oscar's grey eyes widened as he watched Philip Morph into the Graphite Ranger and launch himself at Singe as Arianna crouched beside the fallen bodyguard.

"Impossible..." he breathed.

"Are you okay?" Arianna asked, helping him sit up.

"I..." Oscar blinked, looking up at her. "I didn't hit my head, did I?" the older man asked her. Arianna couldn't help but smile softly.

"No," she shook her head.

"Then the Prince really is..."

"The Graphite Ranger, yeah," Arianna looked up as Philip dodged Singe's next strike. "That's why he's spent so much time here," she explained softly. She then looked back at Oscar as he chuckled.

"You sure that's the only reason kid?" he asked her softly, and Arianna looked up again.

"No," she couldn't help but smile, but it was wiped from her face when Singe managed to catch Philip across the stomach with a close range shot. He staggered back, demorphing and putting his hands around the burn that cut through his shirt and jacket.

"I do believe I've won," Singe sneered as Philip fell into the sand, his vision clouded with pain as Arianna skidded to his side.

"Philip," she breathed, and he groaned in pain as she pulled him into her arms.

"Get out of here," he told her, but Arianna shook her head.

"I told you no," she said stubbornly. He groaned, his head falling against her.

"Neither of you are going anywhere," she looked up as Singe pointed his blaster at her, only to be shot himself. He cried out in pain, stumbling away from them.

"Guys!" Tyler called as the other Rangers reached them. "Oh man," his eyes widened as he saw the burn across Philip's stomach, and the royal barely conscious.

"Good luck fighting a Ranger down!" Singe taunted.

"Guys, you take care of this freak," Chase told them, demorphing. "I guess uh," he crouched opposite Arianna. "I can try this out," Arianna's eyes widened as Chase began to glow.

"Sounds good to me," Tyler smirked, and the others ran off as Chase focused on healing Philip.

"You can glow now?" Arianna breathed, and Chase winked at her. She then fell quiet, staring at him as he focused, the glowing flickering a little bit as he tried to maintain his new power.

"Forgive me but...what is going on?" Chase looked up in alarm as Oscar slumped down beside them, looking baffled.

"I'll explain later, don't distract him," Arianna told the man quickly, and Chase resumed focus, the glow lighting up his skin again. Oscar watched, wide-eyed, as the burn across Philip's torso began to fade slowly, and his slow, erratic breathing began to ease. Arianna let out the breath she'd been holding, her eyes closed in relief as she kept the young man close.

When the burn finally vanished, Chase slumped back, exhausted as the light faded.

"Wow, that really does take it out of you," he confessed.

"Thank you," Arianna smiled at him, and he grinned back.

"Now that the Prince is okay, may I ask... _what_ is going on?" Oscar asked, looking from Arianna to Chase.

"Later, I have to-" Chase stopped as he went to get to his feet, only for a dizzy spell to throw him. The Zandarian man caught him and helped him back down. "Dammit..." he groaned, grabbing his Dino Comm. "Tyler," he contacted the Red Ranger.

' _Go ahead_ ,' Tyler answered quickly.

"We need you mate. Singe is back. Philip and I are down, and Ted's still injured. The others are gonna need your help," Chase warned him.

' _I'm on my way_ ,' the Red Ranger responded.

' _I'll get Teddie out to you as well. You guys alright_?' Ari asked as she came into view. Oscar sucked in a startled breath as he peeked over Chase's shoulder.

"Fine, just...I get why you need to sleep for like 12 hours after you do a big heal," the Black Ranger chuckled.

' _Just be careful Chase. You've only just unlocked that power, don't push it,_ ' Ari warned him, before ending the link.

"Guys! Tyler and Teddie are on their way!" Chase called to the other Rangers.

"It'll be too late by then!" Singe kicked Olivia back.

"That's what you think!" Ivan intercepted and blocked Singe's next strike.

"Weapons combine!" Koda, Riley and Shelby combined their weapons to form the Triple Spike.

"You pathetic pipsqueaks!" Singe sent Ivan spinning away. "Flame Flare!" he fired another powerful blast that the three blocked as best they could.

"Hold on guys!" Koda encouraged as they felt themselves being pushed back. "Ivan, help!" he called to the Gold Ranger, who nodded.

"Do not fear friends!" Ivan flew through the air and rushed Singe again. "Ptera Strike!" he slashed down the preoccupied alien's side, knocking him off balance. Seeing their opening, Riley joined Ivan to hit him again.

"I've got to find a way...to end this..." Singe grunted, and vanished right before the two could land their strikes.

"Where'd he go this time?" Riley frowned.

"The coward ran off!" Olivia frowned, looking around. Suddenly Singe reappeared, growing much larger as the Magna Beam hit him.

"Time to put my foot down!" he laughed, and the Rangers leapt away before he could hit them with his stomp.

"That scoundrel never left at all!" Ivan growled.

"Fooled you!" Singe taunted, and they were forced to move again as he blasted the ground where they stood. Chase raised a shield, as did Arianna, and the two blocked any debris from hitting them.

"He's even more powerful now!" Riley cried out.

"And there's only five of us," Olivia groaned, only to hear a familiar shriek. They looked up in time to see the Plesio Zord flying towards them, blasting Singe to knock him away from them.

"Hey!" Tyler called from the cockpit. "We sure could use a crew in here, you know. There's no way I could control Teddie alone," he grinned.

"Rude!" Teddie put her hands on her hips, insulted.

"Tyler and Teddie," Shelby breathed a sigh of relief. The Rangers leapt up into the air, joining the Red and White Rangers in the Plesio Zord.

"Nice to see you guys," Tyler grinned.

"Same to you," Olivia smiled back.

"Now let's wipe this dude out!" Teddie cheered, throwing her hands into the air. "Summon Para Zord!" she called on her brother's Zord, and it combined with the Plesio to form a Megazord. "Dino Charger ready! Dino Super Drive Sabre!" the White Ranger called on the enhanced mode, grabbing the sabre. "Dino Super Drive, Activate!"

"Here comes the candle freak!" Olivia called as Singe suddenly ran at them.

"And here you go!" Singe taunted, slashing across their front and making the Rangers cry out as their Megazord shuddered. "This'll be a cinch!" he laughed.

"Para Zord blast!" they met Singe's shots with their own, taking him by surprise.

"Plesio, now!" Tyler shouted. They punched Singe hard, and he fell with a cry.

"Let's get rid of this dude's headache for him," Teddie called to her team.

"You're on!" Tyler grinned back as Singe groaned in pain. "Let's combine Plesio and Para power to snuff out this flame!" the Red Ranger cheered.

"Three...two...one! Galactic Para Blast!" they fired the powerful move, but after the initial shout when it collided with him, Singe laughed.

"Even your Megazord is mega lame," he mocked, pushing back the power.

"Looks like we're gonna need more power to take him out! Summon Raptor Zord!" Riley called on his green Zord, allowing it to combine with the Megazord.

"Pathetic," Singe rolled his orange eyes.

"Bladed Raptor Slash!" the Megazord rushed Singe as the attack kept going, and Singe cried out. As the smoke cleared, their eyes widened, and Singe laughed.

"Barely a scratch," he mocked, pulling their claw back to reveal a crack in the mirror on his armour.

"Man, he's powerful," Tyler swallowed, some of his confidence fading.

"But wait, there's more!" Singe laughed. He threw them back and grabbed his blaster, firing repeatedly. The Rangers yelled in pain as they struggled to remain standing. "Try again and lose again," he challenged, only for a light to hit him. " _What_?! Not now!" Singe yelled, suddenly starting to shrink.

"He shrank?" Shelby frowned, not understanding what had happened. "He got away again!" she growled.

"Next time, we gotta finish him," Tyler told them. The others nodded in agreement, having seen just how much of a threat Singe really was.

* * *

"I have to admit, this is a lot to take in," Oscar admitted as they sat in the café of the museum. "And it really explains a lot about some things," he chuckled.

"I apologise for keeping you in the dark," Philip told him, his hand drifting to his stomach. It was odd, knowing that he was fine despite such a life-threatening injury.

"It's fine, I understand the need for secrecy. Particularly considering your social status," Oscar chuckled. "You're doing a good thing, your highness. Now," he glanced to Arianna, who was standing nearby, looking awkward. "I will leave you to speak with that lovely lady, while I would like to have a word with her," he indicated to Ari, who was leaning against a wall as she spoke with Chase and Spencer.

"Why?" Philip asked, not understanding.

"I doubt she'll remember me, but there was once a time that a young lady with green eyes and some rather impressive fighting abilities saved a Zandarian man from a monster attack in Ocean Bluff," the Graphite Ranger stared at his bodyguard as he stood, walking over to approach Ari. Philip then composed himself, and stood, walking over to Arianna.

"It's a good thing Spencer had a spare shirt with him," Arianna commented idly, taking in the different attire.

"Indeed, otherwise I'd be walking around with a hole in my shirt," Philip agreed, looking down at the black and gold t-shirt he wore. The colours didn't appeal to him much, but after bonding with the Graphite Energem, he had been drawn to more greys in his wardrobe. It was slightly too baggy on him, and felt odd to be wearing, since he usually stuck with more formal attire in public.

"It looks good," Arianna nodded, before blushing. "I mean..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say as Philip chuckled, finding her embarrassment adorable. "I'm glad you're okay," she glanced away.

"Arianna," Philip took her hand, making her look at him again. "About what you said before-"

"I'm sorry," Arianna spoke quickly, looking guilty. "I was scared. But..." she then smiled softly. "I'm not any more," the Prince's smile grew, and he pulled her in for a kiss, before breaking away quickly as they heard a whistle, remembering that they weren't alone in the room.

"Oh, leave them alone," Teddie slapped her brother's arm, and he grinned, having been responsible for the whistle. Arianna couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head as the two began to bicker, making everyone roll their eyes in amusement, forgetting the tough battle of the day.

"Oh!" Ari remembered something suddenly, and hurried out of the café.

"What's with her?" Riley asked curiously, watching her run off.

"No clue," Teddie shrugged.

"Oh, how'd it go with your friend's dad?" Shelby remembered where Tyler had been before Singe had attacked. Tyler smiled with excitement over what he'd heard from Rusty.

"Get this, there was another guy down there with my dad. I'd no idea, but he disappeared too," Tyler told her.

"What?" Shelby blinked in surprise. "How'd you not know that? Wouldn't they have told you about him as well?" she questioned. Tyler shrugged.

"I've no clue, but Ari didn't know either. Super weird," he said.

"Yeah..." the Pink Ranger nodded in agreement, before they heard a gasp and looked around to see Arianna throwing herself away from Philip and into the arms of an older man with eyes just as silver as hers.

"Dad!" she laughed with delight as he hugged her. "What are you doing here?" Arianna smiled as Philip went rigid, staring at the man.

"Thought I'd see how you were doing," Tyzonn told her with a warm smile, before he met Philip's gaze and the Prince went even paler.

"Oh, this is _amazing_ ," Teddie giggled, elbowing Chase, and the pair didn't hide their laughter as the others tried to be a little more subtle in their amusement.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	6. Roar of the Red Ranger

Chapter 6: Roar of the Red Ranger

Sitting in a booth in the empty café, Teddie idly strummed notes on her guitar, only half paying attention as she remained deep in thought. Her notebook lay open in front of her, filled with words and scribbles, changing the lyrics to the songs that she wrote down.

Her mind wandered, and her fingers stilled as she thought back to the forest, when she'd reclaimed her Energem from Heckyl. With a heavy sigh, she set her guitar down on the table and put her head in her hands, and drew in a ragged breath.

"Dammit..." she whispered, feeling her eyes start to burn. "This _sucks_ ," Teddie declared, her voice quivering as she sank lower, putting her head to the table.

"Would you like to talk about it?" she looked up sharply as Ivan slid in on the opposite side.

"Not really," Teddie turned her head away, wiping away the tears before they could fall.

"Teddie, come now," Ivan offered a sympathetic smile. "You have not been yourself in some time. It may do you good to talk, rather than bury it," he suggested.

"There's not much to talk about," Teddie shook her head, still avoiding his worried expression.

"Your feelings aren't 'not much'," Ivan told her firmly. "You cared for Heckyl, and you were hurt, you can talk to us about it. We're family, in more than just blood," the Gold Ranger reminded her. Teddie closed her eyes.

"'Cared'," she repeated, sounding wry. "That's past tense," Ivan frowned, not understanding what she meant. Teddie sighed, letting her head fall back, and she opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. "If only it was that simple," she muttered bitterly.

"Past tense..." Ivan stared at her. "Teddie, you can't mean-"

"He kissed me, out in the forest, when I went to get my Energem back," Ivan stopped abruptly at Teddie's words. She then met his gaze and he saw her guilt and fear. "And I kissed him back. And I have no idea what to do or how to feel about it," Teddie confessed, drawing in another ragged breath.

"Teddie-"

"Hey guys," they looked around as Tyler bounced in, smiling at them. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Sure," Teddie's smile returned, and she watched as their leader left again to find the others. "Please don't tell anyone, Ivan. I'm not ready to face reality yet," she requested.

"I..." Ivan then sighed. "You have my word," he agreed. Teddie didn't look at him, lifting her guitar and notebook, and leaving. "Oh my...what have you gotten yourself into?" he wondered aloud, shaking his head before following her out.

* * *

"Is that supposed to be a map?" Shelby smirked as she peered over Tyler's shoulder and saw the worn piece of paper in his hand. "Looks like a kid drew it," she teased. The others laughed as a blush coloured Tyler's cheeks.

"I was _five_ , okay?" he defended with a laugh of his own. "And besides, crayon is waterproof. My dad used to say it's great for the outdoors," he explained.

"And to eat," Koda smiled.

"No, Koda," Chase groaned.

"Not again," Teddie sighed.

"I gotta know, how can _anyone_ follow that map?" Olivia questioned as she saw the terribly drawn map.

"They get lucky," Chase replied, his arm around her shoulder as Tyler continued to lead the way. He ignored them, not rising to their teasing. He looked around, leading the way through the forest.

"Let's see..." he focused on it without breaking stride, confident in the map.

"I don't trust that map," Shelby decided with a shake of her head. Tyler didn't seem to hear her, focusing on following the map's directions.

"Here it is!" he suddenly exclaimed, pointing.

"That?" Shelby arched an eyebrow as she saw where he was pointing. At the base of a tree, there was a small pile of rocks.

"A mark to make sure you don't lose it. Guess you don't have _total_ faith in your own map," Teddie grinned as they followed Tyler over. He didn't respond, crouching beside the rocks.

"Is it buried treasure?" Ivan asked him curiously, peering over.

"Sort of," Tyler nodded, starting to dig through the loose soil with his hands. "Guys, guys look!" he laughed as he unearthed an old box. It was rusted with age. "Here it is!" Tyler smiled, opening it to reveal an odd collection of every day items. "My dad and I used to come camping here all the time, and each time we'd come, we'd put something in this box. Letters...photos...and I've continued that tradition ever since," he showed them the contents of the box with a proud smile.

"That's so cool," Olivia smiled as she crouched beside him. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous, thinking of her own father, who still had made no contact with her.

"No way!" Tyler gasped as he pulled out a worn baseball from the box. "I caught this when I turned 9. I was so excited. Dad told me he would be leaving an expedition, just to be at my birthday party," his smile faded a little. "He never made it to the party, and I haven't seen him since," he admitted, his excitement vanishing.

"That is a sad tale indeed, my friend," Ivan commented softly, his gaze on the trees as Koda shared a similiar expression, as did Olivia.

"Hey, um, we know you're gonna find your dad," Chase spoke up as he took Olivia's hand, knowing she still missed her mother a lot, not to mention her own missing dad.

"Hear hear, Sir Tyler," Ivan nodded.

"And we'll do everything we can to help," Teddie told Tyler confidently. Tyler's smile grew at their support, glad they had his back. He then pulled a hat from his backpack fixing it.

"This year's momento is a hat from the Dino Bite Café," he put the hat in the box, returning the baseball as well. "It's not the hat that's important, it's all the friends that I made at the café," he explained, and the Rangers all smiled at him.

"Thanks for sharing this with us, Tyler," Shelby crouched beside him and helped return everything to the box carefully. "It's very special," her smile then turned mischievous. "But seriously, you need to work on your map drawing skills, because-"

"I was five!" Tyler argued, laughing as he buried the box and stood up with her. Shelby was still grinning, and patted his shoulder.

"Let's see if you're any better at target practice," she teased him, leading him away from the box.

* * *

Philip slumped onto the bench, looking exhausted.

"Wow, and I thought I was having a rough day," he glanced up as Teddie took a seat behind him. "I don't think I've seen you look so...dishevelled," she teased, and he blushed. "How'd it go with Tyzonn?" she asked him.

"Fine!" the Graphite Ranger replied quickly, and Teddie arched a dark eyebrow. He sighed. "I think. I hope. I have no idea," he sighed, making her chuckle.

"I'm sure it was fine, dude," she told him. "Don't worry so much," Teddie told him.

"Arianna's father is a famous Responder throughout the _galaxy_ ," Philip replied, incredulous. "He was also a Power Ranger," he added.

"And so are you," Teddie reminded him. "Don't sell yourself short. Arianna cares about you for a reason, I'm sure he'll see that," she smiled. The Prince nodded slowly, not looking entirely convinced. "Well, now you know how Arianna felt meeting your family. Chill out, it'll all work out," the White Ranger encouraged.

"You're right. Thanks Teddie," Philip relaxed a little, and she winked, getting up. She narrowly avoided Chase and Ivan as they practised their sword fighting, with Ivan clearly dominating against the Black Ranger.

"Watch it goofballs," she rolled her eyes.

"So, this new Dino Charger will only respond to the Red energy signature?" Riley asked as Shelby, Kendall and Spencer worked on a new weapon for Tyler. Kendall nodded, unable to keep the excited shine out of her eyes.

"It relies on the Tyrannosaurus Rex energy. Only Tyler will be able to access T-Rex Super Charge mode," she explained.

"It's kinda like a battilizer," Spencer considered, only to receive three blank stares. "Okay, you guys _really_ need to read up on your Ranger history," he told them, handing Kendall the Dino Charger.

"Why do that when you guys just tell us everything?" Shelby grinned, making both Riley and Kendall smile as Spencer rolled his eyes, activating the program so they could download the data into the Charger.

"I have to ask Ari, how do you always manage to end up stumbling across Ranger teams?" Tyzonn asked as he and Ari walked in, with Arianna beside them. She veered off, approaching Philip, who couldn't help but smile as he stood to greet her.

"Look, I'm just a magnet for this stuff. I never intend on it," Ari defended, blushing. Tyzonn chuckled.

"I suppose I wouldn't be here if you weren't," he patted her shoulder.

"Damn right," Ari snorted. "How's the battilizer coming along?" she asked, leaning on the console. Kendall, Riley and Shelby looked at Spencer again, and the Gold SPD Ranger grinned.

"Told you," Kendall rolled her eyes with a smile at his words.

"I'm just uploading the data into the Charger now," she told Ari, who gave a thumbs up.

"Guys!" they looked around quickly as Tyler slid into the base and collapsed to the ground, a hand to his chest. He was badly beaten, with blood trailing down his face.

"Tyler!" the group rushed to his side.

"What happened?" Chase asked as Ari crouched beside Tyler, helping him sit as she examined his injuries.

"A monster attacked me in the woods," Tyler said, covered in bruises and dirt, his eyes wide as Ari started to heal him.

"He was fast, and I didn't have my Energem," Kendall glanced over to the computer, where the Red Energem lay. She'd not considered Tyler would be at risk in such a short time.

"What happened? How did you get away?" Arianna asked, crouched beside him with a concerned expression.

"You'll never believe it," Tyler couldn't help but smile with excitement, despite his injuries. "Another Ranger saved me!" he told them, taking them by surprise. "I think it was the Aqua Ranger," he smiled.

"About time they showed up," Teddie commented.

"I had hoped this day would come," Keeper spoke happily as he approached. "Do you know his identity?" he asked Tyler, but the Red Ranger's smile faltered.

"No," he shook his head. "He was there, and then he was gone. He didn't stick around to chat," Tyler explained, and they all sighed, disappointed. "I wonder..." he frowned. "Ari, remember what Rusty said, about my Energem?" he glanced at Ari as her glowing faded.

"That it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of find," Ari repeated. "It did seem a little strange," she commented.

"Almost like he'd seen one before," Tyler considered.

"I'd been thinking that myself," Ari agreed.

"Do you think he could be the mystery Aqua Ranger?" Chase asked, looking from Tyler to Ari.

"Whoever it is, we must convince them to join us," Keeper spoke firmly. "The added strength could give us the edge we need to destroy Heckyl," Ivan couldn't stop himself looking at Teddie at Keeper's declaration. The White Ranger's expression hadn't changed, but she gripped his sleeve. Before any of them could say anything, the computer started to beep.

"Speaking of strength," Spencer adjusted his glasses as he peered at the screen. "Looks like the new Charger is ready," he handed it to Kendall.

"Excellent. Let's go test the T-Rex Super Charge mode," she smiled.

"Oh, now that's gonna be awesome," Teddie grinned, letting go of Ivan's sleeve to walk off. He followed, looking concerned.

"Who'd have thought you'd be decent at the tech side of being a Ranger?" Chase elbowed his brother.

"Shut it," Spencer rolled his eyes. "When you room with Kayden and hang out with Bridge, it's either talk machines, or about Z and Annie. And I'd rather gouge my eyes out than listen to that," he pulled a face as Chase laughed.

* * *

Ari, Tyzonn, Spencer and Arianna stood with the Rangers, who were Morphed and watching Tyler test his new weapon in a field away from prying eyes.

"Okay, moment of truth," Kendall approached Tyler. "You ready to go?" she asked, offering the new Charger. The Red Ranger grinned widely under his helmet.

"Yup, I can't wait to see what this thing can do," he was practically bouncing on the spot as he held up the Charger. Kendall then stepped back, giving him space as she turned to the others.

"You guys are gonna love this!" she told them with a smile. Ari stepped forwards, letting her shield form to protect them from any resulting explosions.

"Dino Charger!" Tyler activated the Charger, and immediately it began to pulse with energy.

"Something's wrong," Ari immediately sensed something wrong with the energy that began to wrap around Tyler's body. He suddenly let out a yell, spasming in pain as the energy continued to grow.

"Tyler!" Shelby cried out in horror.

"This isn't right," Kendall frowned, not understanding.

"It's hurting him!" Olivia shouted as Tyler's yells rose in volume and he stumbled, before falling to his knees. His screams stopped, and he remained motionless.

"Tyler!" as the energy faded, Arianna ran to her friend. "Are you okay?" she asked, trying to help him up. Tyler responded with a snarl, grabbing her and shoving her backwards. The Mercurian let out a gasp, stumbling and falling, wincing as the stones on the ground scraped her hands.

"Stop!" Philip blocked Tyler quickly, standing in front of Arianna.

"Tyler!" Kendall hurried forwards. "It's okay, we'll help you," she raised her hands to try and settle him, but he growled, standing strangely.

"He's acting just like a T-Rex," Shelby frowned, baffled by the actions. Tyler growled, and when Kendall got too close, he tackled her to the ground.

"Tyler! Stop! You're hurting me!" the scientist cried out, shoving at him.

"SPD, EMERGENCY!" Spencer Morphed and rushed in as Kendall managed to get Tyler off her. He rammed into the Red Ranger, holding onto him.

"Sir Tyler!" Ivan joined him, both of them working to restrain the leader.

"Calm down Tyler!" Riley joined them as Tyler struggled.

"Guys, be careful! His-" before Ari could finish warning the three, Riley was kicked in the stomach and slammed into Philip, knocking them both across the quarry as both Ivan and Spencer were thrown high into the air, before landing hard. The four demorphed, groaning in pain. "Super strength," Ari sighed as Tyler turned and sprinted off.

"Are you guys okay?" Chase called as he ran over to help them up.

"Define okay," Spencer groaned, lifting his cracked glasses. "Not again," he complained.

"This is not good," Riley gulped.

"He's getting away!" Shelby pointed as Tyler scaled the side of the cliffside easily, vanishing over the top.

"Are you alright?" Philip asked Arianna as she approached him.

"Are you?" she replied with a small smile, watching him dust off his jacket.

"Anyone care to explain _what_ just happened?" Teddie demanded. "Why did Tyler start acting like a T-Rex?" she asked.

"I don't know, the Charger must have malfunctioned," Kendall shook her head. "You guys find Tyler, I'll meet you back at the base," she told them.

"Right," the Rangers all scattered, hurrying out to try and find their friend.

* * *

Kendall sighed as she let her program search for anything that might have caused the Charger to turn Tyler into a T-Rex.

"Any luck?" Spencer asked her as he approached, handing her a coffee.

"Thanks," she took it and looked back at her computer. "Nothing yet. I just don't get what could have gone wrong. I went through the data myself," Kendall frowned.

"Yeah, four times," the Purple Ranger glanced at Spencer as he smiled in amusement. "Sorry," he didn't sound very apologetic as she glowered at him. "I know you were just being thorough," he commented.

"Yes, well, apparently not thorough enough," Kendall grumbled, turning her glower on the computer screen as it continued to search for what went wrong.

"Hey, this isn't your fault," she jolted when he touched her shoulder, offering a supportive smile. "You'll find out what happened and fix it. You got this Ms. Morgan," Spencer told her confidently, and a blush flickered across her face as her glower lessened. Without a word, she grabbed her coffee and took a sip, wincing. "Careful, it's hot," the Gold SPD Ranger told her casually, looking away with a slightly amused smile. Kendall let out a soft sigh.

"I have to say, Tyler seems to attract mayhem, doesn't he?" the two looked around as Tyzonn walked in with Ari and Arianna.

"Just like Mack," Ari grinned, making Tyzonn smile. "Let's hope he avoids active volcanos," the former Mercury Ranger laughed at Ari's comment as Arianna tilted her head, wondering what they meant. "Any luck finding out what set Tyler off?" she asked as Spencer edged slightly away from Kendall, realising how close he was standing to the pretty scientist.

"Nothing yet," Kendall sighed, glancing at Spencer, not missing the movement. The doors then slid open again, and the Rangers walked in, all looking exhausted. "Any luck finding him?" she asked, but they shook their heads.

"He's covering a lot of ground pretty quick," Chase commented.

"And whatever way he's moving, it's hard to track," Teddie added, stifling a yawn. Kendall's computer suddenly beeped, and she looked down, her eyes widening in realisation.

"So _that's_ how they did it!" she hissed, looking furious. "Somehow, Heckyl put a virus on my laptop," Kendall explained to the others. "It caused the T-Rex Spirit to take over Tyler's mind," she told them.

"So it's the T-Rex in charge, not Ty," Teddie folded her arms. "Well, why don't we treat it like tracking a dino, rather than a person?" she suggested.

"Teddie's right," Riley agreed, seeing the logic in her suggestion.

"Course I am," Teddie told him as if this were obvious. Riley rolled his eyes, but smiled in amusement all the same.

"T-Rex's are most active in the early morning, around sunrise," Shelby told them.

"So that's when we need to search again," Chase spoke up.

"Yes, we need to cover every inch of that forest," Ivan frowned, worried for their friend.

"But how will we catch him?" Shelby asked, worried. "He easily threw you guys around," she reminded the group.

"I have an idea for a new Dino Charger that may help us capture Tyler," Kendall smiled.

"I'll get more coffee," Spencer nodded.

"Get some rest guys," Ari told the rest of the Rangers. "You'll be up bright and early to catch a T-Rex," she chuckled.

* * *

Yawning as they headed out the next morning, the Rangers hurried to Tyler's jeep to continuing searching. None of them had gotten much sleep in the base, partly from discomfort, and partly from worry over their friend.

"Remember," Kendall approached the jeep. "Tyler doesn't know he's your friend," she warned them, and held out the new Charger. "In his mind, he's a dangerous T-Rex. I created this new Hypnotize Charger to help control him," Riley went to take it, only for Chase to reach over and take it first. Riley rolled his eyes. "And this is a clean version of the T-Rex Super Charger," Kendall handed the new Charger to Riley.

"Thanks," Chase took it from Riley as well, and Riley sighed.

"Ms. Morgan? Is there any chance that even a part of the real Tyler is still in there?" Shelby asked Kendall.

"It's possible," Kendall allowed.

"If there's even a glimmer of the real Tyler left in that wild animal, I know where he'll be," Shelby lifted Tyler's old map, looking confident.

"Of course, his treasure!" Ivan smiled.

"You're a genius," Chase grinned as he started the engine.

"You're _just_ figuring that out?" Shelby smirked.

"Um, pardon me, but..." Philip spoke uncertainly. "Do I really have to go with Teddie?" he asked.

"Sorry dude, short straw," Chase grinned as Teddie shoved a spare helmet into the Prince's hands.

"Surely I should-"

"Oh no, sorry Ivan, I can't hear you over the engine!" Chase shouted suddenly, cutting the knight off before he could try and volunteer again. They drove off, and Teddie grinned.

"Come on, your highness, let's go," Philip sighed and nervously followed the White Ranger to her bike.

* * *

"Never again!" Philip snapped as he stormed away from Teddie and her bike.

"You okay?" Koda asked as the others pulled up in the jeep.

"I would rather walk back than endure that again," the Graphite Ranger growled, clearly flustered as Teddie grinned, pulling off her own helmet. Her black hair fell around her, and she started to tie it back.

"Sorry your highness, but this baby wasn't designed for the granny speed you wanted to go at," she teased him and a blush filled his pale face.

"Teddie," Ivan looked sternly at the White Ranger, and she shrugged.

"What? We're in a rush," she giggled.

"Next time, I shall accompany you," Ivan said, and Teddie snorted.

"Yeah, and you'll be screaming like a banshee just like when we went dune surfing," it was the knight's turn to blush.

"Guys, enough," Chase called, taking charge. "I've got Tyler's tracks, but we have a problem," he warned. "Someone else is following him, and whoever it is, isn't human," he told them, and they began to hurry through the forest.

* * *

They'd been running for almost an hour, when the Rangers spotted the monster running through the forest, laughing to himself.

"He must be after Tyler," Shelby realised, and Koda looked around. Teddie and Chase did as well, frowning.

"We not alone," Koda suddenly darted away, but as Ivan hissed for him to get back to cover, Koda kicked out, and another monster screeched as he tripped over the Blue Ranger's leg. The other monster laughed as he realised they were there, and stood behind the Rangers.

"We'll destroy your dino friend, right after we destroy you!" Hunter mocked.

"Don't call home about it just yet," Shelby growled as Ninja laughed as well, getting back to his feet. "It's Morphin Time!"

"You mean losing time!"

"Dino Charger!"

"Ready!" the Rangers Morphed, and the two monsters stood together.

"Teddie," Chase shoved the two new Chargers into her hands. "Head for the campsite, and find Tyler. We'll deal with these guys," he told her.

"Take this," Shelby handed her the map.

"I'll find him, don't worry," Teddie smiled under her helmet, and sprinted off, leaving the others to fight the monsters.

"The hunt is on!" the two monsters began to fight, dominating the fight against the Rangers, but they refused to give up.

* * *

"Tyler!" Teddie called as she reached the area they'd been in the day before. "Ty, come on!" she spotted the box that had contained Tyler's precious memories, and ran over to it. The items were scattered all around the grass, making her gulp. She lifted the baseball, remembering what he'd said. "Ty..." she murmured, seeing the picture of him with his parents, before a twig snapped behind her and she froze. There was a low growl, and a shiver ran down her spine. "Oh no..." she murmured, standing slowly.

Tyler approached Teddie with a loud roar, staggering a little as he continued to walk like a T-Rex. Teddie backed away from him, nervous. "Tyler...come on mate..." she spoke weakly, before tripping over the empty box and landing in the grass. Tyler roared again at the sudden movement and rushed at her, but Teddie quickly activated the Hypnotize Charger and fired it from her Morpher. Tyler staggered, and sank to the ground.

Teddie breathed a sigh of relief, falling back in the dirt. "Tyler's scary, I need to stop aggravating him," she sighed, staring at the sky as Tyler breathed low. "And I should apologise to Philip and Ivan, I was kinda mean," she put her hands to her face. "This _sucks_ ," she declared, getting to her feet. "At least you're a little calmer now," Teddie said to Tyler, who jerked awake and stood up. "Or not!" she yelped as he roared and ran at her. He tackled her and threw her back into a tree, and Teddie cried out. "Tyler please! Stop this! I'm your friend!" she pleaded, darting away from Tyler as he launched at her again. He ran into the tree, and she backed away. "Please Tyler, you're not a T-Rex!" she cried out, and he recovered, slamming his shoulder into her. Teddie hit the ground, demorphing. "Tyler..." she whimpered, before her eyes widened as a light blue figure leapt over her head and kicked Tyler backwards. "You're the...Aqua Ranger..." she breathed.

"Stay back," he told her, before another figure ran into view as Tyler recovered and snarled.

"Tyler! I'm not gonna hurt you," the man raised his hands.

"You don't understand, he's not himself!" Teddie pushed herself up to stop him as Tyler ran at him, only for the Aqua Ranger to get in her way. "Get out of the way! He's-" she stopped as the man fighting Tyler punched him with enough force to toss the Red Ranger back several feet.

"Don't you get it?" Mack asked, smiling softly. "It's me, your dad," he spoke carefully, approaching Tyler as the Red Ranger stopped. He lifted the fallen baseball, and smiled. "Spencer told me you caught this at the ball game you dragged him to. I should have been there Tyler. I should have been there for you," Mack said, and Tyler put his hands to his head. "I'm so sorry," he apologised, and Tyler let out a yell, before falling to the ground.

"Ty!" Teddie cried out as Tyler demorphed, and looked up as Mack ran over to help him up.

"Dad? Dad! You're alive!" Tyler threw his arms around him as he choked, tears in his eyes.

"Mack? Then...who are you?" Teddie asked the Aqua Ranger, who demorphed.

"My name is James, I worked with Mack," he explained as she stared at him. Her Dino Comm beeped loudly, and she grabbed it, answering it.

"Teddie, we need you, have you found Tyler?" Chase asked.

"Oh, I found more than Tyler," Teddie grinned. "We're on our way," she told her brother.

"Teddie...wait, Teddie _Bly_?" Mack double-took as he took in the White Ranger. "You're a Ranger too?" he laughed.

"You remember me?" Teddie tilted her head.

"Not with that accent, but yeah, I remember you. You look so much like Ari," Mack grinned. Teddie blinked, blushing a little, before looking to her leader.

"Tyler, we gotta go. The others are fighting two monsters and they need our help," Teddie told the Red Ranger, who nodded.

"Teddie, thank you, for finding me," Tyler said to her, but Teddie shook her head.

"It was all Shelby. She was the one who knew you'd come back here," Tyler's eyes widened in surprise. "Now come on, we got monster butt to kick," Teddie winked.

"Right," Tyler said, but hesitated.

"James, go with them," Mack said to his old friend.

"Right," James nodded.

"Dad..." Tyler stared at his dad, still unable to believe it was really him. Mack smiled back, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll meet you after. I promise, this time I'll be there," he promised. Tyler nodded, and followed Teddie and James away. Mack shook his head with a proud smile. "My colour and everything," he murmured.

* * *

"Too slow!" Ninja mocked as he dodged Ivan and Riley's swords, before ducking to avoid Philip's punch.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Tyler, Teddie and James ran into view, Morphing and grabbing their Blasters. "Dino Morpher Blast!" they hit Hunter, knocking him away from the other Rangers.

"Whoa! You can finish this hunt on your own speedy!" Hunter yelled, getting up and running off.

"Teddie, really? We sent you to get Tyler, and you bring back a new Ranger?" Chase laughed.

"Dude, you've no idea," Teddie giggled as they stood together.

"Ten live Rangers, soon to be none!" Ninja declared.

"Oh, Tyler, you might want this," Teddie handed Tyler the new Charger. "This one _won't_ turn you into a T-Rex," she promised, making him laugh.

"Awesome! Let me handle this guy! He's gonna get T-Wrecked!" Tyler declared.

"Urgh, lame," Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Dino Charger, ready! Sumon T-Rex Super Charge Zord!" Tyler activated the Charger, which summoned a much smaller version of his T-Rex Zord. "T-Rex Super Charge Morpher, activate!" the Zord wrapped around him, becoming armour around Tyler's chest.

"Now that's a battilizer," Chase nodded, impressed.

"A what?" James asked, baffled.

"Thank you," Riley sighed.

"It's awesome!" Teddie grinned.

"Speaking of awesome, check it out!" Tyler laughed as he chased Ninja, blasting the speedy alien. "I like this!" he cheered as Ninja leapt back up.

"Ninja Throwing Stars!" he tried to retaliate, but Tyler easily dodged them.

"Too slow! I'll make you see stars!" he taunted. "Dino Super Charge Blast!" he shot Ninja, who cried out in pain as his armour smoked. "Third time's the charm! T-Rex Super Charge Zord, attack!" he sent the much smaller Zord out to attack Ninja.

"Oh my gosh, that is so cute," Teddie giggled.

"And they call me a show off," Chase grinned, impressed with Tyler's new power.

"You _are_ a show off," Olivia reminded him.

"I'm not done yet!" as the little Zord returned to Tyler, he leapt at Ninja. "T-Rex Super Charge Kick!" flames surrounded him, and Ninja shrieked. He hit the ground hard, groaning.

"You wretched Ranger!" he growled, getting back up.

"T-Rex Super Charge Chomp!" a power blasted out from Tyler's chest in the shape of a T-Rex head, biting down on Ninja and cutting through his armour. He was thrown through the air, landing in a heap nearby. "Now to double your trouble! Weapons combine!" Tyler combined the new power with his blaster, and it began to power up. "T-Rex Super Charge Morph Blaster, Final Strike!" he fired the finishing blow, destroying Ninja.

"Dude, that was _awesome_!" Tyler smiled as the others ran over to him.

"So uh, I don't mean to be rude but...who are you?" Riley asked as they turned to the Aqua Ranger, who gave a small laugh.

* * *

"I cannot believe this. After all this time and your dad finds _you_ ," Shelby rolled her eyes as she and Tyler approached the others.

"Yeah..." Tyler smiled. "Teddie told me how you found my map and knew I'd be at the campsite," he turned to her, and Shelby blushed. "Shelby, I was wrong. You really do know me," he apologised for snapping at her the previous day when she'd suggested his dad was gone.

"I was wrong too," Shelby shook her head. "You should never give up hope. Especially for the ones you love," she smiled, glancing to where Mack, James and Rusty were talking to the other Rangers.

"I've known James was a Ranger for like, ten years. But none of us knew that there were other Energems," Rusty explained.

"Until you saw mine," Tyler realised, and Rusty nodded, glancing to him.

"Yeah, when I saw your Energem, I was like, blown away," he laughed.

"Hey," Mack turned around, and a fist collided with his jaw. The blow stunned him, and he crashed to the ground. "Damn your jaw Astro Boy!" Ari groaned, clutching her fist close with tears in her eyes.

"What the hell Ari?!" Tyler yelled as he crouched beside his dad, who had a hand to his jaw.

"You still hit as hard as ever Ari," Mack grinned, but regretted it as his jaw protested.

"Uh... _this_ is Ari?" James looked alarmed as he looked from Mack, to Ari, who was being held back by Tyzonn. The Mercurian had been trying to talk her down the entire way out to the campsite.

"And Tyzonn! Wow, it's been so long," Mack got back to his feet. "Glad to see you still help keep Ari a _little_ calm with me," he chuckled.

"Oh, you think I'm angry," Ari gave a dark laugh, her eyes flashing. "Rose is on her way as we speak," Mack went pale. "So have fun explaining where the hell you've been for a decade, Mack Hartford, because we're going to kill you!" Mack took off as Ari broke out of Tyzonn's grip and tore after him.

"She's so happy to see him," Chase couldn't help but laugh.

"Please tell me she isn't going to kill my dad when I just got him back," Tyler swallowed, before pausing. "Wait, mum's on her way?!" his eyes widened. "She's gonna kill me for not telling her the minute I saw dad!" he groaned.

"Good luck mate," Chase patted his shoulder.

"Hey Philip?" Teddie tapped the Graphite Ranger's elbow. "I'm sorry, for the bike ride," she rubbed the back of her neck, and he smiled back.

"It's quite alright. I suppose if I can handle riding around in a Megazord, I can handle one bike ride," he patted her shoulder. "Let's just not make a habit out of it," Teddie went red.

"Right, and I won't call you an old lady again," she added.

"Teddie!" Ivan spoke sternly.

"It's fine," Philip smiled in amusement. Ivan sighed, and Teddie turned to him, before pulling the Gold Ranger aside.

"I'm sorry, for my attitude lately. And thank you, for keeping my secret," she met his gaze, her guilt clear.

"Teddie, I gave you my word," Ivan reminded her. "I will not break it," his words made her smile a little. "But perhaps you should talk a little more about this? If we must fight Heckyl, your feelings cannot allow you to hesitate," Ivan reminded her.

"I know. But not yet," Teddie shook her head. "Right now, I need to focus on being me, and stop with this crappy attitude," she told him. Ivan put a hand on her shoulder.

"Then I shall assist in whatever way I can," he told her, and was surprised when she hugged him.

"Thanks Ivan," she murmured. Reminded of his daughter, Ivan couldn't help but smile and hug her back. He then cleared his throat and let her go, and Teddie stepped back with a giggle. "Maybe we should go stop mum from killing Mack when Tyler just got his dad back," she suggested.

"Grand idea," Ivan agreed loudly, and the two couldn't help but laugh as they went to help the others.

* * *

 **So after a decade...Mack's back!**

 **Hope you liked it!**

 **Please review!**


	7. Forged Under Fire

Chapter 7: Forged Under Fire

"Come on Teddie, you got better moves than that," Spencer said as Teddie stumbled back, a hand to her shoulder.

"Oh, I'll show you better moves," she grinned, not too offended at her brother's words. She ducked under his next punch, using her smaller stature to her advantage. Spencer's eyes narrowed a little as he focused harder to ensure her punch didn't connect with his stomach.

"You and Spencer fight the same, kinda," Shelby commented to Chase as they watched the two sparring. Nearby, Ivan and Riley were practising their sword skills, making sure to avoid the rest of the group with their weapons.

"Yeah, Spencer seems a bit more...forceful?" Olivia guessed as Teddie weaved around another punch from the SPD Ranger.

"That's because of my bull spirit," Spencer explained, hearing their words as he blocked Teddie's strike. She gulped as his much larger hand wrapped around her fist, trapping it. "Whereas I use strength..." Teddie then leapt over his head and twisted, forcing him to let her go. "Teddie and Chase use agility more, hence the bird spirits," he finished. Olivia and Shelby looked to Chase, who winked at them. They rolled their eyes at his action, before looking up as the trapdoor above opened, and Tyler and Mack slid in, with Tyler laughing. It was obvious he was happy to have been reunited with his father.

"Hey guys," Tyler greeted with a smile.

"Welcome back Tyler," Koda greeted, having been painting shirtless nearby. "Mr Hartford," he added politely.

"Call me Mack, people call my dad Mr. Hartford," Mack grinned.

"Huh, I seem to recall him trying to get us to call him Andrew, and it didn't stick," Ari smirked, sitting with Rose, Tyzonn and James, who had been learning what he needed to know about being a Ranger.

"Come on dad, let me show you around," Tyler laughed as Mack shot Ari a weak glare. She just responded with a smile, still not having completely forgiven him.

"Want see my cave painting?" Koda invited, and Mack and Tyler approached him.

"That's beautiful. It looks very authentic," Mack praised. "You must have studied at the university?" he guessed. Koda looked up, baffled.

"Uni...what?" Koda blinked, and Mack frowned, confused at his reaction.

"Dad, there's something I need to tell you about Koda," Tyler laughed. "He's actually a cavem..." he trailed off as Mack approached Ivan and Riley, his eyes wide.

"Here we go," Rose rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Oh sure, like you didn't get excited over half this stuff," Ari smirked at her.

"Your sword..." Ivan handed it over with a proud smile for Mack to examine. "If I'm not mistaken, it's from Zandar," he commented, and Ivan's eyes lit up.

"Yes! That is right!" Ivan nodded.

"Beautiful replica," Mack told him.

" _Replica_?" Ivan repeated, insulted. The others tried to hide their laughter as Ivan snatched the sword back. "King George _himself_ gave me this sword," the Gold Ranger told him, highly affronted.

" _The_ King George gave it to you?" Mack asked, disbelieving.

"This is amazing," Teddie giggled. She and Spencer had stopped sparring to watch, entertained by Mack's obliviousness.

"Yeah right!" Mack laughed. "Next you'll be telling me that..." he glanced around and his eyes settled on Philip, who was sitting with Arianna, also watching. "That he's the Prince of Zandar!" he laughed.

"Mack?" he glanced to Rose. "He _is_ the Prince of Zandar," Mack paused, his smile fading as he looked at Philip again.

"Prince Philip the Third, pleased to meet you Mr. Hartford," he greeted with an amused smile, standing up as the others couldn't contain their laughter.

"It's true, he is the Prince," James approached with a smile of his own. "Koda's a caveman, that's why his painting looks so authentic. He found the Blue Energem 100,000 years ago," he chuckled as Mack stared at Koda. The Blue Ranger smiled brightly. "And Ivan? He's _the_ Sir Ivan, from the legend. He found the Gold Energem 800 years ago," he chuckled.

"What?" Mack blinked rapidly, turning to Ivan again. The Knight bowed respectfully to him.

"When they bonded to their Energems, they stopped ageing," Kendall spoke up. "Just like James, ten years ago," she glanced to the Aqua Ranger, who pulled the Aqua Energem from his pocket.

"So what have you been working on, Ms. Morgan?" Tyler asked as he turned to the Purple Ranger. She smiled, leading them over to her machine as James studied his Energem curiously.

"Once I'm done, Tyler's T-Rex Super Charger should be able to access weapons from all of our Energems," Kendall explained as she removed the Pink, Green and Forest Energems and handed them back over.

"There's just two left to transmute; the Graphite and Aqua Energems," Spencer said as he walked back over, drying off the sweat around his face. Philip handed his over, and after a moment, James did the same.

"That Energem stole ten years of my life..." James murmured. "Not just mine," he glanced to Mack, who put a hand on his shoulder.

"Then again, it saved both of our lives," Mack reminded him, and James nodded, but still looked guilty.

"How did it happen?" Chase asked, curious. None of them expected Tyler's missing father to be connected to the Aqua Energem.

"It was a decade ago, but..." James sighed as they moved away from the machine, letting it work on the two remaining Energems. "Still seems like it was just yesterday. Rusty, Mack and I were exploring a vast network of caves, when the place started to collapse. Rusty was in trouble, so I went back for him. He got out, but Mack and I were trapped by falling rocks," James explained. "After the dust cleared, I realised I couldn't move. Mack was breaking his way free, but it was taking time without causing more of a collapse. That's when I saw something in a fossil. I didn't really understand what was happening, but unfortunately, someone else did," James looked down.

"It was a creature we'd seen around the area the day before, stalking us," Mack continued for James. "He demanded the Aqua Energem, and I managed to delay him long enough for James to get free before we ran. Unfortunately, with my strength," Mack glanced down at his hands. "He came to the assumption that I had bonded to an Energem too," he admitted.

"Days later, I found my way out of the cave, but...Fury never stopped chasing us. He was relentless. It was like he could smell my Energem," James continued on, a haunted look in his eyes.

"That's when I knew we couldn't go home," Mack spoke up again. "Risk putting my family in danger? And James' too?" he shook his head, and turned to Tyler and Rose. "Can you ever forgive me?" he asked, guilt obvious in his eyes.

"Of course," Tyler answered without hesitation. "Dad, you didn't have a choice," he pointed out.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little mad that you didn't think you could come to the Overdrive Rangers for help, but," Rose shook her head. "You've never been one to ask for help, especially if it puts us in danger," she pulled him closer. "But you don't even think about running off again, or I _will_ let Ari beat you," the genius warned.

"I like that plan," Ari agreed.

"I won't," Mack chuckled, kissing his wife before pulling her into a hug, unable to believe he was back with his family. "Honestly, I'm still struggling to believe all this. Not only is my son the Red Ranger – told you he'd take after me more," he added to Rose, who rolled her eyes. "But Ari, your kids are involved? And Arianna too? You've all grown up so much," Mack looked to the kids of the former Rangers.

"Ten years does let you grow a little," Spencer grinned.

"And you're still as much of a smart ass as your mum," Mack replied, making Spencer shrug.

"Rude," Ari said, but didn't look offended in the slightest.

"Yeah, because everything was all rainbows and unicorns between you and Will," Mack spoke sarcastically, and Ari shrugged.

"Dude, you think I have a personality like this and I don't clash with people? Besides, Will was a jerk," she defended, and Mack couldn't help but laugh.

"I still can't believe _you're_ the Gold Ranger that Mack told me about. I expected something..." James trailed off, a little red.

"Taller?" Ari asked innocently.

"More mature," Rose, Mack and James answered together.

" _Rude_!" Ari exclaimed.

"I really am starting to see where Teddie gets her personality from," Philip commented, making the others laugh as Teddie blinked.

"Hey!" she looked offended, which only made them laugh more.

The laughter faded when the computer beeped, making them look around.

"What's that?" James asked curiously.

"Alien bio signs," Kendall frowned as she went to her computer.

"Let's get out there," Tyler told his team, who nodded.

"James, Prince Philip, I'm still transmuting your Energems," Kendall stopped the two from following. "I can't interrupt the process, you both need to stay," she told them apologetically.

"Going in two Rangers down?" Mack asked, concerned as the pair nodded reluctantly. "Maybe I should-" Ari caught his arm, stopping him with a shake of her head.

"Dad, don't worry, we'll be fine," Tyler told him with a smile as Mack looked unhappy. The Rangers hurried off, and Mack turned to Ari.

"It doesn't get easier," she warned him. "You just have to trust them," Ari smiled softly.

"Even if they get hurt?" Mack challenged her. Ari shrugged, tilting her head a little.

"Put it this way Mack. You get to see what your dad went through when you took the Red Morpher from him," she commented.

"That was different, I-" Mack hesitated, giving Philip a side glance, before sighing. "Okay, I'll trust them," he agreed, turning and walking away to wait.

"What was that about?" Spencer asked.

"It's nothing important...anymore," Ari murmured the last part to herself. She knew Mack kept his android origins quiet, with few people outside of the Overdrive Rangers knowing. She then glanced to James, who looked concerned for his friend. She then ran a hand through her hair, hoping Mack would be able to accept it.

* * *

Hunter grumbled, kicking up some dead weeds around the industrial building he was pacing in front of, when the Rangers spotted him.

"Looking for trouble, Hunter?" Ivan called.

"Cause you've found it!" Tyler added as Hunter whirled around to face them. He let out a cry as Shelby leapt at him, narrowly missing kicking his face.

"Let's get him!" she shouted as they all attacked.

"You Rangers are such pests!" Hunter complained. He caught Chase with a hard punch to the stomach, lifting him off his feet. "And I'm the exterminator!" he laughed, tossing the Black Ranger aside before slashing Shelby, Ivan and Teddie. Riley blocked the strike meant for him, only for a drop kick to shove him into Olivia. The two tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Don't worry, only my pride is hurt," Riley sighed as Koda and Tyler helped them up.

"My butt took most of the damage," Olivia grumbled, shooting him a dirty look.

"Crossbow Laser Storm!" Hunter grabbed his weapon and shot arrows at the Rangers, who dodged them. The arrows exploded when they hit the ground, and the Rangers rolled away.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" Chase fired a retaliating shot, hitting Hunter in the face. The alien shrieked in pain, flipping through the air before landing on his back.

"Magna Beam!" they looked around in shock as Fury suddenly roared. He began to grow, before crying out in pain as green lights surrounded his horns, leaving bands around them. "Singe, what have you done?!" Fury demanded as he fell to his knees. "I feel weak..." he pushed himself up as he grew to a much greater size. "But I'm ready for wreckage!" he declared, raising his sword.

"We got big trouble!" Chase gulped. Fury laughed, and blasted the ground where they stood. Rolling away, the group barely managed to avoid the attacks.

"Whoa, he's playing cat and mouse, and we're the mice!" Shelby groaned.

"I don't like that analogy," Teddie pushed herself up. "So let's even the playing fields!" she grabbed her Charger.

"I'll use T-Rex Super Charge mode and deal with Hunter," Tyler told them.

"Dino Chargers, ready! Summon Zords!" each of the other Rangers summoned their Zords, forming the Ptera Charge Megazord Tri-Stego Formation.

"Dino Charger, ready! Dino Super Drive Sabre!" Ivan activated their powerful Megazord power. "Dino Super Drive, Activate!" he grabbed the sabre that materialised.

"Let's take this dude out!" Teddie called as they flew into the air.

"I'm weakened, but I can still beat you!" Fury warned, throwing a powerful jet of lightning at them.

"Dodge the blast, yes!" Ivan laughed as they easily avoided the attack. As Tyler easily dominated against Hunter, the others continued to push Fury.

"Curse these Zotac Rings! I can feel them sapping my power!" the feline roared angrily.

"Whatever those things are, they've made Fury mad weak," Olivia grinned. "Flamethrower!" she called on the T-Rex's power to spit out a jet of fire at Fury when he swung at them again. The flames cut through Fury's lightning, and scorched him, making Fury scream in pain.

"Dino Super Drive Sabre, activate!" Ivan shouted, raising the sabre to call on the combined power of their Chargers. "Dino Super Drive Sabre; Lighning Charge! Final Strike!" flying at Fury, they cut through him and made him shriek in pain.

Landing at a much smaller size on the ground, Fury groaned, blood trickling from a cut across his chest. Knowing he was lucky to even have survived the last blow, he managed to get to his feet, and roared furiously.

"Singe will pay for making me weak!" he vowed.

"He got away...for now..." Ivan growled, determined to put an end to the one who had held him captive for 800 years.

" _Help, guys_!" Tyler suddenly contacted them, sounding weak.

"We have to help Tyler," Chase told the others before they could relax, and they leapt from the Megazord. They found Tyler breaking free of a green binding, falling to one knee as his Dino Super Charge mode faded, and Singe and Hunter ran off.

"Tyler, you okay?" Teddie called as they ran to help.

"Be careful, somehow Singe neutralised my T-Rex Super Charge Mode," Tyler warned as he got back to his feet, shaking a little from the loss of power.

"They in warehouse!" Koda spotted the two sneaking off, and they gave chase.

"You won't escape!" Tyler warned as they cornered the two.

"Don't want to," Singe chuckled as they turned to face the Rangers.

"Take them down!" Riley called as they summoned their sabres and ran to fight off the two.

"You ragged Rangers fight like you're asleep," Singe taunted as he caught Tyler's blade and tossed him backwards. Chase, Shelby and Koda fought Hunter, while the rest focused on Singe, knowing he was the greater threat.

"Then it'll be real embarrassing for you when we kick your butt!" Teddie told him as she kicked out, but Singe dodged and punched her across the chest, forcing her backwards.

"We'll see about that!" Singe laughed, his arm starting to glow green.

"Oh no, that weapon again!" Tyler recognised it, stopping the others from approaching Singe. "Look out!" he yelled, but it was too late. Singe spun in a circle, and the green light hit each of the Rangers. They cried out, hitting the ground as they demorphed, finding green rings around their Energems.

"This is bad..." Olivia murmured.

"Dino Charger, ready!" Tyler tried to Morph again, only for the Charger to beep. "These rings...they're keeping us from Morphing," he realised.

"Come on Hunter," Singe smirked. "Their powers have been neutralised. Let's get their Energems," he told the snickering alien with him, only for Teddie's energy-ball to hit him in the face. Hunter shrieked as it exploded, knocking him backwards.

"You're not getting anything!" Chase warned, starting to glow gold and black. His Kiwi spirit burst free as Teddie's followed, flying through the air with their bird songs harmonising. They flew at Singe, throwing him back.

"We need to get out of here, we're way too weak without our Ranger powers," Teddie said as she let vines burst out of the ground and wrap around Hunter. He broke free, only for Tyler's punch to throw him into Singe.

"No kidding," the Red Ranger backed away, and with a frustrated growl, Singe used the power again, letting the green light hit the two spirits. The birds cried out, before vanishing, and Teddie and Chase fell to their knees as bands wrapped around their arms.

"What a waste," Singe scoffed as he got back to his feet. "Let's end this," he told Hunter, only for blue and grey blasts to hit them and shove them back.

"You'll end nothing today!" Philip called as he and James stood in front of the others Morphed.

"Got you covered guys," James told them as Olivia and Koda helped Teddie and Chase back to their feet.

"How dare you interfere!" Singe growled at the pair.

"Time we made our exit," James glanced to Philip, who nodded in agreement.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" they shot Hunter and Singe, and when they burst through the smoke, the Rangers were gone.

* * *

"What are these things?" Olivia asked as the Rangers recovered back at base.

"Some kind of alien technology," Kendall explained as she studied Tyler's Energem.

"May I?" she glanced up as Tyzonn approached, and she handed it over. He sighed as he looked it over. "I feared it was this. A Zotac Ring," he said.

"That's what Fury called them," Chase remembered. "What are they? And why do they make me feel so lousy?" he complained, pulling at the one around his arm.

"They're control devices," Arianna spoke up as she stood beside Tyzonn, looking at it with a hint of fear. "I've never seen one before," she admitted.

"I have," Tyzonn's expression was darker. "They're energy neutralisers. With this wrapped around your Energem, you won't be able to harness it's power," he explained as he handed it back to Kendall.

"And us?" Teddie asked, indicating to the band she also wore.

"Your powers will be completely restrained," Tyzonn explained. "When a Mercurian has one on, it stops us from switching forms, or using our powers. You won't be able to use any sort of ability with that on," he told them.

"Oh, so we're..."

"Normal," Spencer finished for the pair.

"At long last," Shelby commented, but no-one could bring themselves to laugh. With Zotac Rings on their Energems, they were down to three Rangers.

"Is there a way to remove the rings?" Kendall asked Tyzonn.

"To be honest, I don't know," he admitted, the haunted expression still in his gaze. "I never saw what happened after they were applied. Our mission to help them failed," he turned away, and Ari put a hand on his arm as Mack put his hand to Tyzonn's shoulder in comfort.

"They're often used for slavers," Arianna explained, her own expression one of fear. "I've been lucky to never see one," she murmured. Philip took her hand, squeezing it gently in reassurance, and she drew closer to him. Neither noticed Tyzonn watching the pair.

"Okay, then I'm going to try to break off the ring," Kendall decided. "The transmuter may have the power to do it...does anyone want to volunteer?" she glanced to the affected Rangers.

"Use mine," Tyler volunteered instantly. Kendall nodded, and turned to the transmuter, placing the Red Energem in a tube. As she adjusted the settings and powered up the machine, the lights began to flicker overhead, plunging them into semi darkness.

"Cross your fingers everyone," Shelby swallowed as Kendall got to work.

"Come on..." Kendall murmured, and the ring began to glow green, before shattering.

"It came off!" Tyler smiled with relief, and Kendall smiled slightly.

"It worked," Philip spoke up in awe as the others breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wait," Spencer stopped her from touching it. "Look," he gestured to the crack that formed in the Energem.

"Oh dear," Kendall swallowed, grabbing a microscope to examine it. "That's not good," she murmured.

"What's wrong?" Olivia peered closer.

"There's a crack," Kendall turned to Tyler nervously.

"It cracked?" Tyler stared at her, and grabbed the Energem. He studied it, seeing the crack down the length of the gem. "Can I Morph?" he asked Keeper, who had approached.

"It would be very risky," Keeper warned him. "The crack may continue to grow. We must stop it before the damage is irreparable and your powers are compromised forever," he considered. Tyler's look of panic grew at the idea of losing his powers entirely. Mack walked over, worried for his son.

"No worries...Ms. Morgan can fix it," Chase said confidently, but his real concern was obvious. "Can't you?" he asked, sounding a bit more uncertain. Kendall looked away.

"I doubt it..." she admitted, looking down. "We need the right combination of heat and pressure," Kendall explained, knowing she couldn't provide that.

"Samson Caves," Mack spoke suddenly, looking to Tyler. His eyes lit up with an idea.

"In the main cavern, there's a lava pool," the Red Ranger remembered.

"Lava!" Kendall smiled, realising what he was talking about.

"Heat _and_ pressure!" Tyler grinned.

"What were we saying before about Tyler avoiding active volcanoes?" Ari asked Tyzonn with a smile. Rose chuckled, and Mack blushed.

"Guys come on. One time," he defended weakly.

"That might just do it!" Kendall considered.

"We've got to try," Tyler nodded, and Kendall held out his Energem to him.

"Good luck," she said, and he grinned, turning to leave.

"I'm coming with you," Mack decided, making him look around in surprise.

"One time huh?" Rose arched an eyebrow.

* * *

Forced to wait to see if Tyler could repair his Energem, the Rangers waited in the base.

"This thing is uncomfortable," Teddie complained, stopping her guitar practice to tug at the band again.

"That won't work Teddie, and we're not going to try and break it off you," Ari called over to her. "The Zotac Ring cracked an Energem, god knows what it'll do to you," she pointed out as Teddie huffed. "Seems like Tyler really did take after Mack, huh?" Ari turned to Rose, who huffed.

"Mack didn't have to go with him, he's not a Ranger any more," she grumbled.

"He's just worried about him," James smiled a little as he sat down with them. "When he found out Tyler was a Ranger, I don't think I've ever seen him so happy," he chuckled. "But then he remembered how dangerous it was when he was a Ranger. And it really got to him," James admitted.

"Hmph. Main reason it was so dangerous for Mack was because he kept running _towards_ the danger," Ari commented, and both Tyzonn and Rose nodded in agreement. James smiled in amusement. "But I get his worry, really. If there's one person who is almost as bad as Mack-"

"Excuse me, _almost_?" Rose challenged with an arched eyebrow.

"I didn't try to blow myself up to destroy the Fearcats," Ari argued.

"No, you just ran after them to try and rescue Ronny from them," Tyzonn spoke up. "Alone," he added when she glowered at them.

"Plus the time you and Will ran off to take on the Fearcats when they got that armour," Rose added. "We could go on. The list is endless," she told Ari, who was growing redder by the second.

"You guys seriously suck," she grumbled. "Can we not ruin James' image of me?" she gestured to the Aqua Ranger.

"Too late," he told her, and she groaned as Tyzonn and Rose laughed.

"Hey Ari," she glanced to Tyzonn, still looking irritable when he leaned forwards, though his focus was over her shoulder. "Tell me about him," he requested. She glanced over her shoulder, to Philip, who was sparring with Olivia.

"Been waiting for that," she snorted.

"Oh, the protective dad," Rose grinned. "He's acting just like my dad when he met Mack for the first time," she commented, making Tyzonn roll his eyes.

"Well?" he pressed.

"Oh, fine," Ari chuckled, raising her hands. "He's a good guy, Ty, he really cares for her," she told him, and he watched as Olivia knocked the Prince to the ground and said something before offering her hand, making him smile. "Give him a chance. He almost got himself killed protecting her from Singe," she told him.

"That's what I'm worried about," Tyzonn sighed. "I know I sent Arianna here to learn like I did, but at the same time...maybe I shouldn't have put her in that sort of danger," he considered, looking over to Arianna, who was cheering Philip on as Chase cheered on Olivia.

"I think it was a good idea," Rose spoke up. "She's so much more confident now. I think it's been good for her to be here," she told him. Tyzonn had to admit, she was right. Of course, Rose usually was.

"And Arianna's been just as good for Philip," Ari spoke up again. "He had a bit of an attitude problem at first, and when he first became a Ranger he freaked about being outclassed compared to the others, but Arianna settled his fears every time. And she's gained a lot of confidence from spending time with him," she told Tyzonn, who sighed as he watched Philip approach Arianna, looking a little embarrassed about losing.

"Vella's gonna kill me," he muttered, and the others chuckled as Ari patted his shoulder.

 _'Guys_ ,' they looked around as Mack contacted the base, sounding frantic.

"What's up?" Spencer answered.

 _'The lava didn't work_ ,' Kendall sighed at Mack's announcement. ' _Tyler used Dino Armour X to dig underground, but the hole collapsed after he dug in! There's gotta be a way to help him_ ,' he pleaded with them.

"His suit can withstand a lot of heat. If his Energem isn't completely cracked, he should be okay," Kendall tried to soothe him. "There's simply nothing more we can do to help him," she told him apologetically, before a warning popped up on screen. "You've got company, alien bio signs just outside the cave, closing in fast. Get to safety, we're on our way," Kendall told him.

' _I can fight_!' Mack protested.

"No, you don't have Ranger powers, you'll be at risk and threaten Tyler too," Kendall pointed out, and he scowled, but nodded, ending the link. "Prince Philip, James, let's go," Kendall told them.

"I'll come too Kendall," Spencer told her. "I read up on Singe the moment he headed to Earth, he's bad news," he said, and she nodded with a faint smile.

"Okay, let's go," she agreed, and James jumped up, hurrying over.

"Why aren't we going too?" Shelby questioned when the others stood together.

"It's too dangerous without your Energems," Kendall shook her head, and they looked down. "And Teddie and Chase, you're both particularly at risk with those on you. Philip, James and I can still Morph. We'll go," she said softly as they looked at their Energems on the table, the light barely shining from them.

* * *

"Mr. Hartford!" Spencer called as they spotted Mack by the cave entrance. "We told you to hide," he sighed.

"Any word from Tyler?" Mack ignored his words, looking worried.

"Not yet," Kendall shook her head, making him sigh.

"I've got a word for you!" they looked around to see Vivix and Skybolts arrive. "Defeat!" one laughed.

"Urgh, I definitely didn't miss the ones that talked," Spencer grumbled. "Mack, get to safety, we'll handle this. _Please_ ," he requested when Mack went to protest. He sighed, but nodded, running off.

"Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!"

"SPD, EMERGENCY!" the four Morphed.

"I gotta ask, why are you helping out?" James asked Spencer, taking in his different suit.

"Commander gave orders, after Heckyl got so close he wants to make sure it doesn't happen again," Spencer shrugged.

"Uh, yeah, we try to avoid talking about that," Kendall shook her head.

"Oh believe me, I know," Spencer's voice darkened.

"Let's go!" James called, and they grabbed their blasters.

"Rapid Blast!" Kendall fired her blaster, taking out multiple Vivix.

"You're a pretty good shot," Spencer complimented as he moved past her, cutting across more as he ran through a group of the footsoldiers.

"Time to crush these cockroaches!" Philip called as he and James joined the fight.

"Don't mind if I do," James grinned, fighting them off.

* * *

"That's it, I'm going out there," Shelby decided, walking over to the tray.

"Shelby...we're practically powerless," Riley reminded her as he hesitated, showing his fear. Shelby frowned at him.

"Powers or no powers, we're Rangers," she told him firmly. "I say we go," the Pink Ranger looked to the others.

"Hear hear," Teddie grinned as they lifted their Chargers, before pausing.

"What? You aren't going to stop us?" Olivia asked, aware there were four others still there.

"Nope," Ari looked happier than they expected. "See? You could stand to learn from them," she smirked to Rose and Tyzonn.

"We learned our lesson when you called us babies," Rose argued.

"What are they talking about?" Riley asked, baffled.

"Oh, when they lost their Overdrive powers and the team gave up," Teddie answered brightly. "That's why I went back in time to help them," she explained.

"Wait, what?" Rose demanded, her eyes widening.

"Did I forget to mention that?" Ari asked innocently. "Good luck out there!" she waved off the Rangers, who hurried out to help.

* * *

"Surprise!" the seven Rangers found their path by Hunter as they ran through the city. "Trying to get to the cave to help your friends?" he taunted. "You don't have the power to get past me!" Hunter laughed loudly.

"That's what you think!" Chase called, and they ran to fight him unmorphed. However, without their powers, the Rangers were easily outmatched by the powerful alien.

"Six at once!" he laughed, spinning and knocking all but Koda down.

"I get him!" Koda leapt over Chase and landed on Hunter's head. The alien thrashed as Koda pulled at his tentacles, before losing his grip. Ivan caught him as Hunter threw him off, and the two landed on the ground.

"Resist, and you'll cease to exist!" Hunter declared, grabbing his crossbow and blasting the ground in front of the Rangers when they got back up. They cried out, thrown back to the ground.

"This ain't good," Teddie groaned, a hand to her chest.

* * *

As Kendall, Philip, James and Spencer continued to fight the Vivix and Skybolts, another entered the battle, chuckling.

"Uh oh, look!" Kendall spotted him first. "Singe," she gulped.

"You've Morphed for the last time, Rangers!" the candle-like monster declared, his tail swishing as he raised his blaster. Spencer raised a shield, and the blasts bounced off it harmlessly. "Oh, an SPD Ranger," Singe commented, not showing any surprise. "Any relation to the Black Ranger?" he asked.

"Why, you wondering about our good looks?" Spencer bit back, and Singe fired again, continuous shots that cracked through the shield and threw the four to the ground.

"On your feet guys!" Kendall shouted as she got back up quickly and shoved back the Vivix that swarmed them.

"Finally, the Energems will be mine!" Singe smirked as he powered up the blaster attached to his arm, letting it glow green. However, the ground began to shake, and exploded in front of him.

"Think again Singe!" Tyler called as he landed in front of Singe.

"Tyler!" Kendall smiled with relief.

"He's okay!"

"I'm more than okay, and so is my Energem!" Tyler cheered, fully energised and glowing red with power. "It's time I got super-charged! Dino Charger, ready!" he activated the charger in his hand, and it flashed. "T-Rex Super Charge Morpher, Activate! T-Rex Super Charge, ready!" summoning the battilizer mode, he combined his two blasters. "Super Charge Morpher Blast!" he fired at Singe, who raised his arms to defend himself, forgetting about the weapon attached to his arm.

"That blasted blaster! No!" Singe screamed, thrown through the air as the weapon exploded in a flash of green. "Curse that Ranger...he's destroyed my Zotac Ring controller!" he realised as he pushed himself up.

* * *

After being thrown around again by Hunter, the seven Rangers pushed themselves back to their feet, smarting from the blows. Hunter just laughed, almost dancing on the spot with joy at such an easy battle. However, their Energems began to glow green, and the rings exploded off them, as did the ones around Chase and Teddie's arms.

"The rings are gone!" Teddie laughed as she put a hand to her arm.

"What?!" Hunter yelped, and Teddie flung out an arm. Her hand glowed green, and the ground exploded under Hunter as vines burst out around him, grabbing him and tossing him into the air. Chase then followed suit, his hand glowing golden, and golden light slammed into Hunter, forcing him back down and smashing him to the ground.

"Feels _so_ good to do that again," Chase sighed happily.

"You mean to not be normal," Olivia smirked at him. "Let's do this!" she cheered.

"Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" they Morphed as Hunter pushed himself back to his feet, only for Chase to blast him.

"I liked the snotty teenagers better!" he yelped, and both Ivan and Riley cut across his front.

"How about we try something new?" Riley asked as they stood together.

"A grand idea indeed!" Ivan nodded in agreement. As Ivan powered up his Ptera Sabre, the Rangers leapt onto each other's shoulders, standing in two pillars of three.

"Dino Morpher, Energy Combine!" the Rangers fired their blasters to combine their powers, and Ivan flew through it, combining his power with theirs.

"Ptera Sabre, Final Strike!" Hunter shrieked as Ivan slammed into him, cutting through him and destroying him.

* * *

Singe fought with rage as he attacked the other Rangers, furious that they'd destroyed his weapon.

"You trashed my controller, now I'll trash you!" Singe snarled as Philip and Tyler rushed him.

"Save the trash talk," Philip groaned, before being kicked away.

"Yeah, for garbage day!" James agreed as he jumped in, but Singe was too powerful, throwing James against the cliffside nearby. The Aqua Ranger groaned as his back stung from the pain, and Spencer rammed Singe away from him.

"Go back to your Master, Singe," Spencer told him as he ducked under Singe's kick. "Your _real_ Master," he added.

"You've done your homework, haven't you, SPD Ranger?" Singe commented mildly, landing a kick to Spencer's chest and throwing him back. "Not that it matters, I'll destroy you all and take the Energems!" he declared.

"Not gonna happen!" Tyler leapt in. "I'm gonna snuff you out, candle-head!" the Red Ranger swung a punch that Singe blocked.

"Try me, Dino-Boy!" Singe swung his sword, but Tyler blocked it easily and aimed a kick at his head. Singe backed away, firing his blaster, and Tyler was shoved back several feet by the power behind it.

"Tyler!" Kendall called as she fought off the last of the Vivix. "It's time to try your new Super Charge ability!" she shouted to him. "Our Energems are free, you should be able to access all of our weapons now!" Kendall told their leader.

"That's gonna be so awesome!" Tyler laughed.

"Go for it!" Kendall nodded.

"Alright, let's do this! T-Rex Super Charge, Tri-Stego Formation!" Tyler called on Shelby and Koda's powers as well as his own, and activated it. His suit was altered, gaining a blue boot and a pink boot.

"What?!" Singe demanded as Tyler gained a Stego Sheild and Tricera Drill.

"He did it!" James grinned as Philip helped him back to his feet.

"Stego Zord block!" Tyler deflected Singe's attack. "Whoa! These new Dino powers are dynamite!" he laughed, leaping through the air as he felt power flood through him. "Tricera Zord, Power Drill!" he hit Singe and threw the alien back. "Now for the triple play! T-Rex Super Charge, Compy-Ankylo Formation!" he swapped for Teddie and James' weapons, gaining a sword and hammer. His suit changed again, taking on an Aqua and White colour as well as his red.

"Destroy him!" Singe ordered. The Skybolts and Vivix turned away from the other Rangers, and focused on Tyler.

"This power is crazy strong," Spencer commented as they watched Tyler.

"Ankylo Zord, Hammer Punch!" Tyler hit the monsters hard, tossing them into the air. "And for part two of this super-combo, Compy Zord, Swift Strike!" he then raced along the ground with much greater speed, cutting through each of the monsters as they fell and destroyed them. "Yeah! Compy-Ankylo Formation is morphenomenal!" Tyler laughed.

"Try another one!" Kendall suggested, eager to see what other combinations would be like.

"T-Rex Super Charge, Scelido-Pachy Formation! Activate!" he called on Olivia and Philip's powers next, changing his suit to a dark green and grey one. "Scelido Zord!" he raised the shield as the Vivix attacked, deflecting their shots and hitting them, before he spun through the air. "Just call me a one-man wrecking crew!" Tyler laughed, throwing out the mace. "Pachy-Zord Wrecking Ball!" the Vivix were destroyed as the mace slammed into them. "Time to finish this! T-Rex Super Charge, Para-Raptor Formation! Activate!" he called on Chase and Riley's weapons to finish off the battle.

"You cannot win, so stop _trying_!" Singe roared, fed up. He launched at Tyler, who faced him and shot at him, matching Singe's shots. "Is that all you got, you walking carnival?" Singe snapped at him.

"You're gonna wish you didn't ask for that!" Tyler smirked as he then called on the Tri-Stego formation again. "T-Rex Super Charge Blast, Final Strike!" he fired the shot, and Singe screamed as it hit him dead on. "Now that's what I call fighting fire with fire," Tyler laughed. Singe hit the ground, rolling away, smoking from the hit. He pushed himself up and staggered, falling back to one knee, and growled.

"His flames can't stop me for good. Just...for now..." he murmured, vanishing in a jet of fire.

"Nice work dude, that was awesome," Spencer laughed as they ran over to Tyler, who grinned back.

* * *

"And then, just as the earth started to rumble, I dipped my Energem into the lava, and boom!" Tyler told the group, grinning with excitement. "All fixed," he held up his Energem, which shone brightly, as if the crack had never existed.

"Ohh," Koda breathed.

"Hark, tell me more, please," Ivan pleaded, always eager for a good story. "What did it look like down there?" he asked eagerly. Tyler grinned.

"Oooh, Sir Ivan, I'm glad you asked," he pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. "A picture...is worth a thousand words," he winked as Ivan and Koda gasped in awe.

"Is that...lava?" Ivan breathed.

"Yep! Sure is," Tyler smiled proudly as the others gathered to look too.

"You took a _selfie_?" Shelby rolled her eyes at the picture of Tyler lying on the ground beside the lava.

"I don't understand how you survived the heat," Riley frowned at him. "That's im-" he stopped, looking at Chase, who was smirking at him. "Oh shut up," he turned away as both Teddie and Chase laughed.

"Tyler," Mack approached him, and Tyler looked around with a smile. "I'm sorry, I was way too protective," he apologised. "I should have trusted you to be okay, and from what I heard, you handled Singe all by yourself out there," Mack smiled proudly at his son. Tyler shrugged, trying to look modest. "I'm proud of you Tyler, you're a great Ranger," he praised, and Tyler's face lit up. "I think I'll always be worried about you being out there, but I know you'll be okay. You've got a great team too," he glanced to the others.

"So true," Chase grinned, and the others couldn't help but laugh.

"I do think we should discuss the digging underground towards the Earth's _mantle_ , though?" Rose arched an eyebrow as she approached, and Tyler's smile faded a little. He gulped, looking a little nervous as the others continued to laugh.

* * *

 **I gotta admit, a monster called Hunter really threw me when writing this chapter.  
**

 **James will be sticking around for another chapter, which I'll hopefully post soon enough! I just need to focus on writing for once...**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked it!**

 **Please review!**


	8. Follow My Lead

Chapter 8: Follow My Lead

"You'll never beat me!" the monster roared as he stormed through Amber Bay, crushing anything in his path.

"Oh yeah we will!" Tyler called as the Dino Charge Megazord met him with a powerful punch. The monster staggered back, but smirked.

"Watch out!" James shouted, intercepting a blow aimed for the Megazord using his Ankylo Hammer.

"Pachy Wrecking Ball!" the monster let out a yelp as the mace slammed into him, throwing him back. The Plesio Charge Megazord, equipped with the Ankylo and Pachy Zords, stood in front of the Dino Charge Megazord.

"Thanks," Tyler grinned.

"Let's take this guy down!" James shouted as the monster got back to his feet. "Ankylo Hammer Punch!"

"Final Strike!" the monster roared as they pummelled him with the powerful strikes, destroying him.

"Great work guys! Monster extinct!" Tyler cheered, bouncing as James glanced over at the other Megazord, sighing lightly.

* * *

Ari glanced up as the Rangers returned to base, chattering excitedly after another win. She watched as they filled in Kendall about the fight, smiling slightly at the sight. Now with James part of the team, they only had one Energem left to find.

She took in the team, amused by how well they worked together. Tyler, Shelby and Riley had adjusted quickly to becoming part of the core team with Chase, Teddie and Koda, and after getting over a minor rivalry with Tyler, Ivan had fit in perfectly as well. Even Chase and Riley had put aside the differences they'd had and worked well together.

Olivia, while originally a little reluctant to join the team, and even less willing to hand over the Energem that had been a family heirloom, had been a great addition to the team as well. And it was nice to see her and Chase getting along, far better than anyone had initially expected. They still bickered, but it was all in good humour. _And_ she helped keep Chase's ego in line, which was always good. At least he'd not turned himself into a tree.

And while Kendall had technically been the new Ranger before James had arrived, she'd been working with the team from the start, so Philip had still been the most recent addition to the team. He was still quiet, but it seemed to be part of his personality, as opposed to feeling he was out of his depth that Ari had seen when he first joined the team. He was a powerful member of the team, and they were all glad to have him.

Ari watched as Kendall explained her newest Charger, one that would combine the powers of the Red, Blue, Green, Black, Pink, and White Energems, her eyes lighting up as she spoke. Ari chuckled, seeing a resemblance to so many other geniuses she'd worked with. She wasn't entirely confident in her skills as a Ranger, compared to as a scientist, but she was slowly gaining that confidence.

Glancing to James, Ari's smile faded very slightly. He didn't look as eager as the rest, seeming a little uncomfortable, even. Rusty had kept James' disappearance as secret as he could, not wanting people to link him and Mack together and risk Fury going after their families, and for a decade, it had really only been Mack and James. To be surrounded by a team of 10 others so suddenly, had to be a lot to take in, after ten years of being on his own.

She just hoped he'd adjust.

"Come on guys, let's go try this out," Tyler grinned, as excitable as ever, which made Ari's smile grow again. He was so much like Mack when it came to anything new.

"Hey, Ari?" James approached Ari as the others left to try out the Dino Victory Charger, and she looked at him again with a smile.

"What's up?" she asked the man, who in reality was around her age, but looked younger thanks to the Aqua Energem stopping him from ageing for 10 years.

"I've been wondering, what's happening with the search for the Silver Energem?" he asked, taking a seat with her. "Surely we should be out there searching for it," James considered.

"At the moment, we have SPD helping to search for it, and Philip's using all his own influence to search as well," Ari told him, but he didn't look entirely convinced. "Sledge knows our base is in this city, and he will aim here with any monster attacks, which is why we haven't got the Rangers out searching far either," she added.

"Is that really enough, though? What if Sledge's monsters find it first?" he asked, worried.

"I have a lot of faith in Philip's team, considering he found the Graphite Energem," Ari told him, trying to reassure the worried Aqua Ranger. "And honestly, searching for the Energems has been increasingly difficult. Each of the Rangers, other than Philip and Kendall, have stumbled across their Energems by accident. And the guy who had the Purple Energem before Kendall found it by accident as well," she added.

"I see," James nodded. He frowned, seeming to be considering something, before sighing. "I guess you're right. There's only one Energem left out there, it's going to be very hard to find it," he said. Ari smiled, and stood, patting his shoulder.

"It'll work out, trust me," she told him, and he stood. "Let's go join the others and see how the Dino Victory Charger works out," Ari suggested.

"Hopefully better than when Tyler first tried out the T-Rex Super Charger?" James smiled, and Ari started to laugh as they followed the others out of the base.

"Anything can go better than that," she pointed out.

"Is he always so...eager?" James asked her.

"He's got a good heart," Ari shrugged, knowing Tyler could get a little too excited, and since his dad had returned, that excitement had only grown. "But thankfully his team have his back," she considered.

"Right..." James murmured, and Ari bit her lip, worry starting to grow in her stomach.

* * *

"Okay, I think we're about ready," Kendall nodded as she set up her laptop to record the data from the test.

"Awesome," Tyler grinned as he took the new Charger from her.

"Okay, let's get back," all but the six Rangers who were needed to power it moved back to watch from the sidelines.

"And you're sure this won't turn us into dinosaurs, Ms. Morgan?" Chase called over with a grin. Kendall rolled her eyes, blushing under her Purple helmet.

"I will design one to turn you into a dinosaur intentionally, Chase," she warned.

"Oh, either Ms. Morgan is serious, or hanging out with Spence has taught her how to joke," Teddie giggled.

"I will extend that warning to you too, Teddie," Kendall's blush grew and she practically growled to the White Ranger, whose giggles continued.

"You know she'd probably be able to do it, she still has that virus data stored," Riley warned the twins.

"Are you guys ready?" Kendall called, growing irritated with the talk.

"Oh yeah!" Tyler nodded as they managed to calm their laughter. He lifted the Dino Charger, but before he could use it, they were blasted off their feet.

"Ready for your defeat, you mean!" Fury laughed as he approached the group.

"You again," James glared at the reason he'd been forced to go on the run for so long.

"Prepare to be destroyed Rangers! Today, I'm taking your Energems!" Fury declared, accompanied by a massive group of Vivix and Skybolts and another monster, who resembled a sound system.

"Great," Riley rolled his eyes.

"At least we're already Morphed. Let's go guys!" Tyler led the way to fight the monsters.

Arianna backed away as all hell broke loose, and when some of the Vivix came at her, she held up her hand. Her Mercurian powers materialised, sending a stream of mercury at them when they got too close.

"Pachy Punch!" the rest were tossed aside by Philip, who stood beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"My hero," Arianna giggled, making him smile.

"Come on Arianna," Ari chuckled nearby, and Arianna blushed as Philip cleared his throat, dropping his hand. "Best leave this to the Rangers," Ari turned around, tossing an energy-ball at the Skybolt rushing her. It exploded, and the Skybolt shrieked in pain.

"You're technically still a Ranger," Arianna reminded her as she caught up to her.

"Oh, and you'd like me to outshine your Prince?" Ari teased her.

"Ari!" the Mercurian whined, her blush growing.

"I can't help it. You guys are just too cute," Ari laughed. "And don't worry, I do tease Chase and Olivia too," she glanced around at the Forest and Black Rangers, who were working together to fighting off the Vivix that surrounded them.

"You're never going to win Fury!" James shouted as he and Ivan struck the alien, who snarled in pain and lashed out, forcing them back.

"Para Chopper Blast!" Chase leapt over their heads, firing multiple blasts. Fury fell backwards, barely managing to stay on his feet as he spat.

"Fury's Roar!" Fury swung down his sword, and the lightning attack blasted the three. They were thrown through the air, and Chase landed on his feet but fell backwards, causing Olivia to catch him.

"My hero," he grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"You're an eejit," he let out a cry as she dropped him to raise her Morpher to blast the Skybolt coming at them.

"What a woman," Chase sighed from the ground.

"I will kick you," Olivia warned over her shoulder as she continued to fight. Chase chuckled, getting to his feet and continuing to fight.

"Dino Charger, ready! Sumon T-Rex Super Charge Zord!" Tyler activated his Super Charge mode. "T-Rex Super Charge, Tri-Stego Formation! Activate!" he called on Koda and Shelby's weapons, and cut through each of the monsters in his path, before charging at the monster.

"Tyler, be careful!" James saw him as Fury turned to the Red Ranger.

"Fury's Roar!" he threw down his sword again, and James rammed the cat, making him cry out in alarm. The lightning attack narrowly missed Tyler, who skidded to a stop.

"What?" he frowned, watching as James dodged each of Fury's attacks. He then kicked Fury back, drawing his blaster.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" James fired, hitting Fury with Aqua energy. "You need to be more careful, and not rush in the moment you see an opening," he told Tyler, whose head tilted.

"But I..." he hesitated.

"Screecher, now!" Fury roared, backing away. The monster laughed, kicking Teddie back, and the speakers started to glow. Sound began to pulse from them, high-pitched and whining, making each of the Rangers cry out and put their hands to their helmets in an attempt to block out the sound.

"What is that noise?!" Shelby groaned, and the noise grew louder, throwing the Rangers to the ground. They landed in a heap, demorphing.

"Sounds like Ryan..." Teddie groaned, pushing herself up. Screecher laughed, and began to glow again. "Heads up!" she shouted, putting her hands to her ears. The others covered their ears, put it did little to muffle the sound, forcing Teddie to one knee.

"I hate it when Ryan does it, and this isn't any better!" Chase shouted, his head pounding.

"You fools can't handle my music!" Screecher cackled.

"That's not music!" Ivan shouted at him, his ears ringing. As Screecher's music faded, Teddie threw out her hands, and vines burst out of the ground, wrapping around Screecher's speakers.

"Hey!" he protested, and the vines strained as he tried to use the soundwaves again, but held.

"Let's get out of here!" James called, and the Rangers scrambled to their feet. Fury slashed through the vines, and they fell to the ground, but when he looked up, the Rangers were gone. He roared a curse, shoving Screecher.

* * *

"That was rough..." Olivia groaned.

"What?" Ivan shouted, rubbing at his ear in an attempt to clear the ringing.

"Take a breather guys, that was one thing that we couldn't really prepare for," Ari told them as they sat in the base, each nursing their injuries. "That was quick thinking Teddie, good work with the vines," she praised Teddie, who blushed.

"She did it to Ryan when we were younger," Chase snorted, and yelped when Teddie punched him.

"You snitch!" she glared at him as Ari arched an eyebrow.

"We'll discuss the abuse of powers on each other later," she sighed. "Right now you need to figure out how you're going to defeat Screecher," she told them.

"It would be a good chance to test out the Dino Victory Charger," Tyler spoke up.

"It's risky, but it may be the best way to try it," Kendall agreed. Ari saw James stand, rubbing his arm to try and massage a bruise.

"I need some air. Back in a few," he said when they looked to him. He left before anyone could speak, and Ari sighed. She went to follow him out, only to be surprised when Philip stood, following him wordlessly.

"Um...anyway," Kendall frowned, and adjusted her glasses. "We still need to figure out a way to get close without Screecher immobilising us again," she got back on topic.

* * *

James sighed as he took a seat in the café, looking at his hands as he thought about the battle that had taken place. He leaned back in his seat, and let out another sigh.

"Pardon me, but you seem like you could use someone to talk to," he jumped, looking up in surprise. Philip took a seat opposite him, smiling slightly as he set down a few drinks.

"Oh, your highness..." James blinked.

"Philip is fine," the Prince told him with a shake of his head. "We're a team, we don't really need the formalities," Philip told him, and James nodded slowly, a little startled. "Now, forgive my forwardness, but something seems to be bothering you," he accused, and James gave a small laugh.

"And here I thought you'd be the least perceptive one about something bothering me," the Aqua Ranger muttered, before pausing. "Oh, no offence," he added when he realised how his words might be perceived.

"It's fine," Philip shook his head, looking a little amused. "Worse things have been said about me, and not all of them untrue. Finding the Graphite Energem was one of the best things to happen to me," he admitted.

"Huh," James leaned back, fishing his Aqua Energem out from under his shirt. "I think the opposite stands for me," he confessed. "It saved my life, and Mack's, yes, but at the same time, it forced Mack to leave his family for ten years. I don't...the only family I've got is my dad and sister," he sighed, shoving it back under his shirt. Philip watched him with his pale blue eyes, concerned for the newest member of the team.

"Is that what's bothering you?" he asked.

"No, I got used to that a long time ago. And I know that Mack doesn't hold it against me either. And Tyler doesn't either, even though they both have every right to be," James shook his head. "Ten years hasn't done anything to lessen that guilt, but that isn't what's bothering me," he sighed.

"I'm all ears," Philip leaned back, making it clear he wasn't going to let it drop. James sighed, grumbling a little.

"Are you always this pushy?" he questioned, making Philip smile.

"Arianna's influence, I'm afraid," he confessed.

"She seems nice, that girl. Don't you ever worry about her being caught up in all this?" James asked.

"Every day. My worries only grow when I have to return to Zandar," Philip admitted. "But I know she's in good hands. And anyway, I would hope she's not the reason for your concern," he commented with a smirk, and James quickly raised his hands.

"Not at all," he told Philip quickly, and the Prince laughed.

"I'm joking," he soothed, and James let out a soft breath, unable to stop his own laugh.

"I spent years with Mack as my only company. He was always talking about his family, about Tyler, Rose, Spencer, his dad, and the Overdrive Rangers," he lifted the drink in front of him.

"Spencer?" Philip's head tilted a little.

"Not Ari's kid, he's the family butler, from what I could tell he was pretty fond of Ari, and vice versa. Think that's probably why she named her son Spencer," James considered. "But after time, I guess I came to see them as family in a way too," James confessed, taking a drink. Philip listened patiently. "So to see Tyler run in head first without thinking..." he trailed off.

"I imagine it would be very difficult," Philip allowed.

"Not only that, but I thought I was the only one for ten years," James continued on. "So to be part of a team...it's hard. Following orders...even harder," he slumped back in his seat.

"I felt out of place when I joined too," Philip told him, leaning forwards. James frowned.

"But Ari told me you went out of your way to find the Graphite Energem," he accused.

"I did," Philip allowed. "I wanted to be a hero too, like Sir Ivan. I grew up on stories of his heroics. I wanted to make my kingdom proud like him, so I did what I could to find one. When it bonded to me, I quickly realised how out of my depth I suddenly was," James listened intently. "After all, it's not really a normal team," Philip laughed quietly.

"How did you adjust?" James pressed.

"I gave it time and accepted that I didn't have to be as good as them, considering I'd only just bonded to the Graphite Energem. Once I accepted that, it was a lot easier to adjust. I think you just need to give it time too, and embrace being part of a team, instead of fighting it. And in regards to Tyler," Philip met his gaze again. "He's a good leader. I was baffled too, at first, but he's got a good heart and he never gives up. And he has the rest of us to watch his back, just like he does for the rest of us," James was reminded of what Ari had told him earlier in the day.

"Thanks, Philip," James nodded, feeling a lot more reassured about the team.

"You're welcome. You'll see," Philip told him. "Embrace being part of the team. You'll learn that Tyler is usually right with his tactics," he advised.

"Right," James smiled, and this time it reached his eyes. "So this advice giving, is this usually your field of expertise?" he asked teasingly, and Philip resisted a snort.

"Heavens no. It's normally Arianna or Ari who handle that area. But since I was sort of the last person to join the team, I felt I have a bit more awareness of what it's like to be on the outside of the-"

"Weirdness?" James offered, both of them laughing.

"Trust me, once you grow accustomed to Tyler vanishing at will or Chase and Teddie's...unusual fighting methods, nothing will seem bizarre again," Philip explained, making James laugh more.

"Right. We should probably join the others, find out the plan for fighting Screecher," he suggested, and Philip nodded.

"Of course," they stood up, leaving the café.

* * *

Not long after the pair had returned to the base, did the computer systems pick up Fury and Screecher's signals in the quarry.

"My ears only just cleared," Olivia complained as they hurried to the quarry to meet them.

"And they'll clear again," Chase told her with a shrug, and she shot a feeble glare at them. The group slowed to a stop, and Fury smirked as he saw them.

"Back for more, Rangers?" he challenged, drawing his jagged sword.

"We're taking you down, Fury!" Tyler declared, grabbing his Charger. "Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the team Morphed and the battle kicked off.

"Teddie!" Tyler shouted to the White Ranger as Screecher's speakers began to glow. Teddie nodded and raised her hands, letting vines grow and wrap around them, stopping the noise from blasting out.

"Hey! No fair! Stop doing that!" Screecher whined as Fury snarled. He whirled around to cut Screecher free, only for golden light to hit the vines. Fury's sword lodged in the green vines, not cutting the entire way through them as they began to grow.

"You'll need to be stronger than that Fury!" Chase grinned, his own hands out as he used sun magic to strengthen the vines.

"You blasted Rangers! I'll kill you!" Fury yanked his sword free and rushed the two, who were unable to do much but focus their magic on keeping Screecher weak.

"Hey, what about me!" Screecher wailed as he watched the cat run at the Black and White Rangers.

"I think not, foul beast!" Ivan's sabre blocked Fury's sword.

"James, can you help Ivan?" Tyler turned to the Aqua Ranger, who hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah," he turned and ran to help the Gold Ranger, kicking Fury away. Tyler smiled slightly, before turning to Screecher. "Dino Charger, ready! Sumon T-Rex Super Charge Zord!" he called on his Battilizer, and leapt into battle.

"Guys, we can't keep this up forever!" Teddie warned as she continuously replaced the vines, and Chase kept them strong against the pulsing sound waves that fought to break free.

"Then we just need to finish this freak off fast!" Olivia nodded. "Dino Morpher Blast!" she fired a shot, and Screecher stumbled back, before lashing out, kicking Koda backwards.

"You might have my music muffled, but you can't muffle my power!" he yelled, punching Olivia. She cried out, landing on the ground, and Screecher laughed, rushing Chase and Teddie again.

"Teddie, keep focusing for just a moment," Chase let his magic fade. "Para Chopper Blast!" he hit Screecher in the face, making the monster cry out in pain and fall backwards. Chase then cast another spell, focusing enough that it wouldn't wither away the vines, instead empowering them.

"T-Rex Super Charge, Ankylo-Pachy Formation! Activate!" Tyler lifted two Chargers and called on James and Philip's powers. "Ankylo Zord, Hammer Punch!" he slammed the Aqua hammer into Screecher, lifting the monster off his feet and into the air. "Pachy Zord, Wrecking Ball!" the mace then pounded Screecher back to the ground.

"That's _it_!" the monster got back up, his entire body beginning to glow. The vines were ripped away, and the Rangers blown backwards by even more powerful soundwaves.

"Not me too, you fool!" Fury roared, forced to drop his sword to try and protect his sensitive ears. Screecher continued to pulse the high-pitched shrieking noise, before stumbling, the glowing fading.

"No! I'm out of power!" he realised.

"Tyler! Now's your chance!" James shouted over to the Red Ranger, who pushed himself back to his feet.

"Right!" Tyler nodded. "I think it's time to try out the new Charger," he grinned, and the others got up.

"Yeah!" Shelby cheered as she, Koda, Riley, Chase and Teddie stood with him.

"Dino Victory Charger, ready!" Tyler activated the Charger as the others stood by him, passing on their power to him. "T-Rex Super Charge..."

"Victory!"

"Final Strike!" Screecher let out a wail as the six powers slammed into him, destroying him.

"Urgh...my ears," Olivia groaned, and the others laughed, cheering at another victory.

* * *

"I don't know about you guys, but I am ready for sleep," Teddie yawned widely.

"Why? All you did was grow some plants," Riley grinned, and she punched his. He barely felt it, which he figured was due to her exhaustion, as Teddie glowered at him.

"You'll eat those words Riley," she warned him.

"I'd normally agree but..." Chase slumped down at the small table. "I'm pooped," he complained.

"Dad!" Tyler smiled when he saw Mack in the base, talking quietly with James and nodding in agreement.

"I've been talking with Ari and Keeper, and it seems James has the same idea," Mack turned to him, and James stepped away to give them a moment. "We feel that our skills should be put to better use. The search for the Silver Energem is what we need to focus on now," Tyler's smile fell as Mack told him this.

"Wait, what, you're leaving?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

"Someone very wise recently reminded me, that this is about much more than you and me," Mack smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We have the whole world to think about right now," he pointed out.

"Yeah I know but...but dad, _I_ need you," Tyler told him, scared to lose his dad again.

"I've seen you in action the last few days, and I hate to admit it," Mack shook his head. "But you don't. You're not nine years old any more," he insisted, and Tyler fell silent. "Trust me, you've proven you can take care of yourself," Mack told him.

"And when you can't..." James cleared his throat, and glanced to Philip and Ari. "You have your team. Me included," Tyler's smile returned slightly. "You just need to call, and I'll be back," he promised.

"Thank you," Tyler nodded to him.

"And uh, don't be worrying about Mack disappearing again," Ari called over, her arms folded. "Because I _will_ track him down, and beat his ass into the future," she warned. Mack laughed, raising his hands quickly.

"I promise, I won't vanish again. And I'm bringing your mum with me too. If there's one person's brain I could use on this search, it's hers," Tyler's smile grew. "Come here," Mack pulled him into a hug.

"Is there a place I can drop you to?" Philip offered as they went to leave. "I'm on my way back to the airport," he tried not to look too annoyed at the idea, but it was obvious he was reluctant to leave.

"Sure, that'd be great," James nodded. Ari smiled, happy that the two seemed to have formed a friendship. As the two Rangers 'on-call' as it were, it was good that they got along.

Philip turned to Arianna before he left, about to say goodbye, before she moved in and kissed him, ignoring Chase's whistle. Mack patted Tyzonn's shoulder as the Mercurian averted his gaze, looking awkward.

"You really are five years old," Riley shook his head.

"That means Teddie is too," Chase just smiled at him, and Teddie's head lifted.

"Riley, you're mean," she pouted, and the Green Ranger rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't my intention, but now that I think about it..." he shook his head.

"Are you really surprised?" Shelby asked him, walking over and putting a hand to Tyler's arm in comfort. He couldn't help but smile, despite his dad leaving once again.

* * *

 **I really wanted to have some Philip and James bonding time, since they pretty much always get paired up together, I wanted to write a start to their friendship. I seem to have come up with this after the running joke started in work about 'no team bonding'.**

 **Anyways, I hope you like it!**

 **Please review!**


	9. Rooting Out Weakness

**Thought I wouldn't be getting this out for another few days, but managed to get another chapter written after making _another_ change so it would actually work.  
**

 **Anyways, I hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Rooting Out Weakness

 _Their heavy breathing was all that could be heard as they caught their breaths after the fast paced fight that had not gone in Teddie's favour. Pinned against a tree with her hands by her head, she couldn't use any of her abilities to get Heckyl away from her._

 _"_ Let. Me. Go _," she snarled in a slow voice, and to her surprise, after a moment, the painfully tight grip on her wrists faded, and vanished entirely. Teddie let her hands drop to her sides, and her head lowered as she felt the blood rush back to her hands; her wrists already bruising a little. She then inhaled a ragged breath, and tears stung at her eyes as he didn't move. "Why...why me?" she asked, meeting his blue eyes. They widened a little in surprise, not breaking away._

 _"I..." Heckyl started to speak, but trailed off, still not looking away or stepping back. Teddie stiffened, her eyes widening very slightly as he lifted his hand, and pushed her hair from her face, before his fingers lingered on her cheek, sliding round to her neck. Her heart pounded, not from the exertion, but from his touch, as despite fighting so desperately against one another, she couldn't deny her attraction to him._

 _He paused, waiting for her to shove him back, to get away as quickly as she could. And a small voice in the back of Teddie's mind was pleading for her to do just that. But she ignored it, another voice much louder in her mind, and it stopped her from moving as he leaned in and kissed her._

"Teddie!" the White Ranger's eyes flew open, and she sat up quickly. "You're gonna be late," Arianna called to her, already dressed and pulling on a pair of boots. Teddie sighed, flopping back down on the bed, her mind on her dream.

"Calling in sick today," she decided, rolling onto her side and pulling the covers over her head, touching her lips as they seemed to burn.

"But Teddie..." Arianna frowned. "You have today off, remember? It's that competition thing today," Teddie's eyes widened, and she was up and out of bed in an instant.

"Of all the days to have that dream," she whispered to herself as she rushed around getting ready. She glowered at her reflection as she brushed her unruly hair, which stuck up on end after a night of tossing and turning, knowing that she had to be focused. After dressing in shorts and t-shirt, she pulled her soft boots on and lifted her jacket from where she'd tossed it the evening before. She then stood in front of the mirror again, taking in her reflection.

Taking a breath, Teddie shook her head. "Forget it. This is important. _Forget_ it," she ordered herself, putting a hand to her White Energem. It shone brightly, and she shoved it under her shirt out of sight. It was warm against her skin, offering a source of comfort to the girl. After everything, she was just glad that she still had the Energem. Almost losing it had been terrifying.

Teddie then hurried down the stairs, not bothering to go into the kitchen to get some breakfast, knowing she didn't have time.

"Good luck Ted, we'll see you there later," Olivia called as Teddie grabbed her helmet and guitar, rushing out the front door.

"Thanks!" she managed to force a smile, and disappeared out.

"Nervous?" Olivia suggested as Chase frowned at his sister's fleeting smile.

"I think bad dreams," Arianna commented, and Ivan paused, halfway through eating. "She's been having a bad dream for a little while now," she admitted, having been rooming with the White Ranger.

"I believe she is simply nervous," Ivan spoke quickly. "She has been rather excited for this 'Battle of the Bands' for some time," he reminded them, and the others nodded.

"I hope that's all it is," Chase murmured.

* * *

Teddie checked her watch as she climbed off her bike, and breathed a sigh of relief. She was early. Looking at the concert hall, she smiled, excited, and headed inside to sign in.

Once she'd signed in, she pulled her guitar free from it's bag and tuned it, wondering where Ryan and Jeremy were.

"And they told me not to be late," she huffed. Looking around, she found nobody else was around, and played a few notes. "" _It starts with the unexpected loss of something dear,  
The warm that comforted and cradled just disappears,_" she sang, playing gently. She shook her head, trying to kick her dream from her mind. " _Bitterness and anger are quick to fill the void  
The path to isolation,  
Is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed,_" she started to play more, standing up as she sang. " _The cold seems to grow in my soul that's consuming me,  
Confused_  
 _Am I losing myself in the storm?  
Growing jaded,_  
 _Being pushed. being pulled, I'm unravelling,_ " Teddie continued to sing, unaware that someone had walked in. Her voice carried, and she took a breath. " _Looking in the the mirror, I see someone that I don't recognize.  
Mirror, what's this thing I see,_  
 _Who is staring back at me?_  
 _A_ _stranger to my heart has filled my life,_  
 _Mirror, help me, who am I_?" she stopped abruptly as her eyes settled on a young man watching her from the seats below, and she went bright red.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he raised his hands with a friendly smile, approaching and climbing up onto the stage. "That was very good. A lot of emotion behind it," he praised. Teddie's blush grew, embarrassed at being caught.

"I'm sorry, I should have just gone backstage to do this, I just-"

"It's okay," the young man chuckled. "Just getting some practice in, I get it," he told her as Teddie sighed. "I'm Levi," he introduced himself, holding out his hand.

"I know," Teddie couldn't help but chuckle as she shook his hand. "You're kinda famous," she whispered in a conspiratorial manner, making his smile grow. "I'm Teddie. And I'm guessing you _won't_ be able to take that into account for the judging later?" she asked.

"'Fraid not," Levi shook his head.

"Damn, I guess it was for nothing," Teddie sighed, shrugging.

"I wouldn't say nothing. I'm impressed. I really believed you when you were singing," Teddie's smile faltered a little bit. She'd channelled her emotions of the morning for the song that she'd written recently. It wasn't meant to have been heard.

"Mr. Weston?" a man called over as he walked in. "We need to get going," he told him, and Levi nodded.

"Sure thing," he then turned back to Teddie. "Good luck later," he told her, holding out his hand again. Teddie smiled, and clapped her hand to his.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to blow you out of the water," she grinned.

"I look forward to it," the young man lifted a white cowboy hat and followed his manager out.

"Oh Mr. Weston, I'll be sure to blow you out of the water," Teddie's eyes narrowed at the teasing tone behind her.

"Ryan, I will break your legs," she warned, turning back to him. "You won't need those tonight," she pointed out as the two young men laughed loudly.

"Flirting with the judge, that's either a sign that you don't believe we'll win, or-"

"I was not flirting with him," Teddie snapped hotly, her face still red.

"Really? Cause I'm pretty sure he was flirting with you," Jeremy shrugged, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Let's just drop it and get some practice in before the gig tonight, okay?" Teddie growled, not wanting to discuss the topic any further. If Levi had flirted with her, she'd not even noticed it.

"Whoa, okay," Ryan raised his hands, an eyebrow arched. "You alright Ted? It's not like you to get so defensive over a guy," he asked her, curious. Teddie sighed, putting a hand to her face.

"I'm sorry, just a bit wound up at the moment," she apologised, lowering her hand to let it linger where her Energem lay hidden under her shirt.

"It's cool Teddie, we're all nervous about this," Jeremy told her, though he didn't look the least bit nervous. Teddie shot him a dubious look. "Some of us just hide it better than others," he grinned, and she rolled her eyes, before hearing a beep.

"Uh, back in a second," she darted away as the two exchanged looks. "What's up?" Teddie answered when she slipped into the back.

' _Monster attack in town_ ,' her heart sank.

"You're kidding," she pleaded.

' _I know today's important, but we need you out there, I'm sorry Teddie_ ,' Kendall apologised. ' _There's a chance we'll need the Victory Charger_ ,' she pointed out, and Teddie nodded.

"Send me the co-ordinates, I'll be there soon," she told the Purple Ranger, ending the link. "Guys, I'm really sorry, I gotta do something for the museum, I'll be back in like an hour!" Teddie told the pair.

"Sure, sure," Ryan waved her off, tuning his guitar. "We'll just replace you with someone else if you don't show up," he smirked, and she shot him a dirty look, running past the other people that were starting to arrive.

* * *

"Hmm," the monster hummed as the Rangers fought off the Vivix that had accompanied her. She was tall, with blonde hair pinned up and a flowing pink dress that changed to spikes at the hem, with grey skin that seemed almost scaly. "I wonder which it is..." she then moved back to dodge Koda's punch with a gasp. "Hasn't anyone taught you manners? You do not _strike_ a lady!" she snapped, punching him back.

"How about shooting one?" she cried out as Chase shot her in the back.

"You Rangers are all so... _common_!" the alien declared, stomping her foot.

"Oh joy, a stuck up monster," Olivia rolled her eyes as she flipped one of the Vivix.

"I'll show you stuck up, brat!" Taciturnus hissed at her. Despite her tantrum, her voice was still quiet. She threw out her hands, and fired a blast of energy that hit both Olivia and Chase, throwing them to the ground.

"You alright?" Shelby asked as the others ran over to help them up.

"Like someone who whines this much can do us real damage," Olivia grinned as they got back to their feet. Taciturnus let out a soft growl, glaring at Olivia.

"I'm going to enjoy destroying you the most, Forest Ranger," she declared, and threw out her hand, only for a boot to hit the side of her head. She cried out, tumbling to the ground in a not so graceful manner. Teddie flipped, landing on her feet with a smirk.

"Teddie! Nice timing!" Tyler grinned at her.

"Sorry I'm late," Teddie called over, in a fighting stance. "It's hard to get parked when there's a monster attack in town," she grinned.

"You...the White Ranger..." the monster growled, pushing her hair from her face. "I'll take it, just as ordered!" she shot up and grabbed Teddie. The White Ranger struggled, stunned by the sudden speed, and was lifted into the air by her jacket.

"Let her go!" Chase fired a shot, but the monster raised a hand, and fired a blast of her own to cancel it out.

"Nice try, Black Ranger, but it's too late!" her hands flashed, and Teddie let out a cry as she shimmered white, before she was tossed to the ground. "Goodbye for now, Rangers!" she vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Teddie!" the others ran to Teddie as they demorphed, and she coughed, pushing herself up. "Are you okay?" Tyler asked as he helped her up.

"What did she do to you?" Riley asked as Teddie coughed again. She opened her mouth, and her eyes widened. She looked up at them, her lips moving, but no sound came out.

"Teddie?" Shelby frowned as she shook her head, her hands to her mouth.

"Let's get back to Ms. Morgan," Tyler told his team, who nodded as Teddie panicked.

* * *

Ari looked over the fight with the alien, her arms folded. Nearby, Kendall scanned Teddie, trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

"From what I can tell, there's nothing wrong with you," Kendall shook her head, and Teddie gave her a droll stare. "I'm just telling you what the machine is telling me," the Purple Ranger defended, and looked over to Ari. "You want to take a look?" she asked, and the former Gold Ranger stood up.

"That alien definitely did something to you," Ari walked over and stood in front of Teddie, who was sitting on the table. "And I think she might have been intending on it from the start," the others glanced around in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" Chase frowned. Ari frowned, her hands hovering around Teddie's throat.

"It looks like she's stolen your voice. Not just sealed it away, but taken it," the White Ranger stared at her as Ari told her this. "I'm sorry Teddie, but the only way to get it back is to defeat her," Teddie slid down off the counter as Ari backed away from her. She kept a blank expression, but her hands were shaking.

"What did you mean, that this fiend was intending on attacking Teddie?" Ivan frowned. Ari turned to them, rubbing the back of her neck.

"The way she was, she was looking for someone. And it wasn't until Teddie arrived that she attacked. She was content to let the Vivix fight the rest of you," Ari pointed out, and the others fell silent, knowing she was right.

"But why Teddie?" Koda asked, confused.

"Teddie has her competition today," Arianna put her hands to her mouth.

"How's she gonna sing without her voice?" Riley realised. "Wait, where is she?" he frowned, looking around, but the White Ranger was gone.

"Of all the days to target Teddie..." Tyler folded his arms.

"Oh, I'm gonna kill him," Chase suddenly growled, his expression dark.

"What is it?" Shelby asked, curious.

"What's to bet that Teddie told Heckyl about the competition?" their eyes widened at Chase's furious suggestion.

"She's been so excited for this, it'll crush her if she can't do it," Olivia murmured, worried for their friend.

"I'm really going to kill him," Chase went to storm out, only to almost fall as his feet suddenly stuck to the ground. "Not cool! Let me go!" he angled himself round to Ari, as the golden glow around her hand faded.

"You're not going on a reckless mission like that," she told him, responsible for the spell. Chase scowled at her, struggling.

"But-"

"Tyler?" Ari glanced to the Red Ranger, who nodded.

"We need to find this monster and beat it, together. Running out there angry will just cause more problems," he told Chase, who glared at him, but after a moment groaned and let his head fall back.

"I know..." he allowed, and Ari released the hold on his feet. "You could have just blocked my path, you know," Chase grumbled. Ari just shrugged, smiling.

"But that was more fun," she admitted. "Some of you should probably get out there and find Teddie as well. She'll be a sitting duck," Ari added, and as Ivan, Chase and Olivia went to find her, Ari sighed. "I hope you're wrong Chase...she doesn't need crushed even more," she murmured.

* * *

Teddie sat in a tree, freshly grown and towering over the others in the forest. Looking at a worn picture she'd kept in her pocket, she couldn't help but sigh, and even that was silent. Growing more frustrated, she shoved the picture back into her pocket and glared up at the sky.

Of all the days for her to get hit with an alien's ability. She had prided herself on rarely getting 'whammied' as her mum called it. And now she had no voice. She could still play guitar, and Ryan could sing, but that meant changing up the songs they'd have to perform, and they'd not practised the others as often.

Hearing a crack below, she glanced down, and her eyes widened at the familiar face.

"Hey kid. Hear you're having a crappy day," Minos greeted her, smiling slightly. Teddie scaled back down, and Minos was surprised when she hugged him. Even after knowing Teddie her entire life, Minos could still be a little awkward, considering he'd been evil for 10,000 years and tried to kill Ari more than a few times. "I'd ask if you wanted to talk about it, but I hear that's the problem," he commented as she stepped back. Teddie frowned, putting her hands on her hips, and Minos chuckled. "You look so much like your mum when you do that," he commented, and Teddie rolled her eyes. "Come on kid, show me what you've learned," Minos pushed her back, and Teddie fell into a fighting stance.

The two began to spar, with Minos dominating, but only just, to prolong the match and let Teddie work out her frustrations. She dodged his blows, using her small bird spirit to run circles around him. However, while she could easily take him in regards to agility, the moment the blows were exchanged, Minos had the upper hand. He caught each punch and kick she threw at him, and pushed her back, making her work harder.

Finally the two took a break, and Teddie sank to the ground, catching her breath. "Seems you're bottling it up more than usual," Minos accused as he tossed her a bottle of water from his backpack. She gulped down the water, and took a deep breath after, before frowning at him. "I'm just saying, kid, you came at me with more aggression than you usually would," Minos defended.

Teddie sighed, leaning back against the tree. She shook her head, and grabbed her notebook. Turning to the back of it, she started to scribble something down, and Minos waited patiently. After a moment, she tore the page out, and hesitated before holding it out to him. Minos took it from the girl, and read it quickly. His expression darkened, and he let out a sigh. "Teddie..." he murmured, and when he glanced back at her, she gave a small shrug and looked away. "You still...you still care about the guy too," Minos realised. Teddie nodded, her eyes closed as they stung with tears.

Minos crumpled up the note in his hand, understanding Ari's worry for Teddie running off alone. And her worry about Chase going after Heckyl. He'd always admired the bond the twins shared, always very protective over each other. He and Camille had never been that close. "I guess I kinda know what it's like, to care about someone you can't have," he admitted, and Teddie looked up at him. "It's hard, and it only makes you want them more, even when you know it can never work," Minos looked away. "But I got lucky. Zora was finally able to escape her husband, and she still wanted to be with me. So in a way, I don't know what it's like. But at first, yeah. I get it. You know-" he stopped as Teddie started to write again.

He watched as she scribbled furiously, and pulled the note out. Minos took it, and he gave a small smile. "Okay, I won't say it. You know it, and you've been told it. I guess that doesn't make it any easier. So how about instead, we work on finding the monster that did this, and get your voice back? That way you can kick butt on stage, so then Jeremy will stop going on about it when he's supposed to be training?" Teddie smiled, and she found herself relaxing a little.

"You won't be destroying anyone!" her smile immediately vanished, and she looked up, unable to move as Snide approached with a chuckle.

"And you are?" Minos asked as he got to his feet, brushing off his jeans.

"The name's Snide. Stand aside, fool. I just want the White Ranger!" he ordered, but Minos just moved in front of Teddie.

"Ain't going to happen. I've heard your name before, Snide," Minos snorted, and stomped his foot. His brown armour surrounded him, resembling the bull spirit he possessed. "Nobody messes with Teddie, or any of the kids. I promised that when I became her godfather, and man, has your other half done a number on her," Minos lifted his hammer, resting it over his shoulder. "I'm going to show you why I was Dai Shi's best warrior!" he rushed at Snide, who barely had time to lift his sword. He blocked it, and immediately regretted it as he was thrown backwards, slamming into a tree.

"Damn..." Snide coughed, pushing himself up. "Who _are_ you?" he demanded.

"The name's Minos. And I'm not the kind of guy you piss off," Minos slammed his hammer to the ground, and Snide overbalanced as the ground shook violently.

"And neither am I!" he rolled out of the way of Minos' hammer and pushed himself up, swinging his sword. Minos blocked it, shoving him back with pure power, and Snide growled.

"Taciturnus!" he yelled, and Minos let out a grunt as he was blasted from the side and hit the ground. His hammer landed with a heavy thud nearby. "Excellent work," Snide nodded.

"Anything for you, Master Snide," the alien who had stolen Teddie's voice purred as she came into view.

"You have power, that's for certain," Snide turned to Minos, whose armour smoked from the blast. "You'd be a good asset on my team. Too bad I have to-ah!" he let out a shriek as white energy slammed into him, exploding on contact. Teddie stood Morphed in front of Minos defensively, her Blaster aimed at Snide. "You...it's your fault!" he snarled at her. "Heckyl was always weak, but now he's even weaker because of you! That's why I had Taciturnus steal your voice, to crush you!" Teddie lost her determined stance, her eyes widening.

"Dammit..." Minos murmured, managing to get to his feet. Teddie shook her head, and fired another shot at Snide, who snarled and stumbled back.

"You'd still fight?" he demanded, and Teddie nodded, her determination returning. "Then you'll be destroyed first! I had the White Energem in my clutches! I don't know how you got it back, or why it was hidden from me, but I _will_ have it!" Snide declared, raising his sword.

"Not on my watch!" they looked up as Ivan leapt in, swinging his Ptera Sabre. "Ptera Lightning Strike!" both Snide and Taciturnus let out yells as they were blasted off their feet, and Ivan landed beside Teddie. "Are you alright?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Teddie nodded, thankful for his help.

"Teddie, destroy Taciturnus! I've got this creep," Minos lifted his hammer again and faced Snide. Teddie nodded, and turned on the other alien, who gasped.

"No!" she fled, and Teddie and Ivan gave chase.

"Who are you really?" Snide demanded as he and Minos circled each other.

"Trust me, you have no idea," Minos broke stance and rushed at Singe, who let out another snarl.

* * *

"Guys!" Tyler shouted as the others reached the clear field where Teddie and Ivan were fighting the alien.

"Teddie, you-" Chase stopped as she put up her hand, nodding. "Oh, okay, good," he nodded.

"Huh?" Riley arched an eyebrow.

"She's fine," Chase shrugged.

"Like I thought you two could get any weirder," Olivia muttered.

"Come on guys, let's join them!" Tyler laughed, lifting his Charger. "Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the rest of the Rangers Morphed and faced off against Taciturnus.

"You're gonna give Teddie her voice back, no matter what," Tyler shouted.

"As if!" Taciturnus scoffed. "How about I take _all_ your voices instead!" she cackled. "Vivix!" she summoned the creatures, who stood in front of her.

"You can take Chase's, that'd be a nice break," Shelby smirked.

"Hey!" the Black Ranger turned to her, affronted.

"Attack!" Taciturnus ordered, and the Vivix raced towards the Rangers. Teddie flipped over their heads, and slashed across Taciturnus' chest with her sword, making the alien shriek in pain. She staggered back, breathing heavily as smoke rose from her front.

"I don't know why Master Snide wants you dead, but I'm more than happy to oblige," she growled, throwing up a hand. Teddie got under it before the blast could hit her, and instead it hit the Vivix that were trying to gang up on Riley. "No!" she cried out, and Teddie shot her with her blaster, making her stumble back.

"Teddie!"

"We have your back!" Riley and Ivan reached her, slashing at Taciturnus with their own swords. She jumped back to dodge them, and blasted at the three, forcing them to move.

"You'll never defeat me!" she vowed.

"Wanna bet?" Tyler leapt through the air; his T-Rex Super Charge activated as he wielded Teddie and Riley's swords. "Para-Compy slash!" Taciturnus screeched, landing hard on the ground. "Let's do it guys!" he shouted as the others ran over. "Dino Victory Charger, ready!" Tyler activated the Charger, and the other five Rangers stood by him. "T-Rex Super Charge..."

"Victory!"

"Final Strike!"

"No! You can't-" Taciturnus wailed, and exploded. However, a moment later, the light of the magna beam hit her, making her grow much larger. "Now you'll pay, filthy Rangers!" she vowed, furious.

"It's Zord time!" Tyler called.

"Summon Zords!" using their Chargers, the Rangers formed the Dino Charge Megazord, Tri-Stego formation with Teddie's Compo Zord as a sword, and the Ptera Charge Megazord, Para-Raptor formation.

"Two against one!" Taciturnus gulped as she took in the two powerful Megazords.

"Let's teach her what happens when you mess with one of us!" Chase grinned.

"Hear hear!" Ivan nodded. Taciturnus punched the Ptera Charge Megazord, making them stumble back, but she was hit in the side by the Compo Zord sword and shoved back.

"Let's finish this," Shelby grinned.

"Para Zord, Fireball Finish!"

"Tricera Drill, Final Strike!" Taciturnus was thrown into the air by the fireball, before the Dino Charge Megazord drove into her, finishing her off.

"Monster Extinct!"

"Teddie? How you feel?" Koda asked. Teddie opened her mouth, before her eyes widened.

"Minos!" she gasped, leaping from the Megazord.

"What?" Koda tilted his head.

"He was battling Snide!" Ivan realised, and they followed Teddie out, watching her streak off.

"I hate when you guys do that," Shelby complained.

Teddie reached the area where Minos and Snide had been fighting, and stopped, demorphing. Minos glanced around, and grinned.

"Hey kid. Looked like a good battle out there," he told her. He had several bruises, but from his grin, he had been victorious.

"Snide?" she asked, and he glanced to the trees.

"Took off. That tattoo on his neck started to glow and he wailed and ran off," Minos snorted as the others reached them. "Too bad. I haven't had a fight that good since...well, since I fought the Jungle Fury Rangers," he laughed.

"You what?" Olivia blinked, confused.

"Oh, we never told you Minos was evil, did we?" Chase grinned.

"Who, me?" Minos tilted his head, looking innocent as the other Rangers looked alarmed.

* * *

Racing back to the concert hall, the competition was under way. Teddie just hoped she wasn't too late.

"Guys!" Teddie called as she spotted Ryan and Jeremy. "I'm so sorry," she caught her breath as the two exchanged amused looks.

"Took you long enough," Ryan commented, strumming a few notes on his guitar.

"I know, I really didn't mean to be gone so long, I-"

"Ah it's cool, those monsters don't make it easy for you," Teddie froze, her eyes growing wide. Jeremy pulled off his sunglasses, grinning at her. "Teddie. Come on. You really didn't think we knew?" he asked her. Teddie went red.

"I didn't..."

"She didn't! Pay up JJ," Ryan laughed, holding out his hand. Jeremy sighed, but handed over a few notes.

"You jerks knew and you didn't tell me?!" Teddie demanded.

"Well you know, being a Ranger is kind of a secret," Jeremy told her quietly, glancing at a young man nearby to make sure he didn't hear them. "We know. We just didn't want to stress you out with that when you're already pretty stressed as it is," he told her, and Teddie stared at the two, before smiling and pulling off her jacket.

"Thanks, dorks," she shook her head. "Now, let's kick butt," she told them, lifting her guitar.

"Sounds good to me!" Ryan laughed.

"Teddie Bly, Jeremy James, Ryan Mercer? You're up," the organiser called over to the three.

"Oh, excellent timing," Jeremy returned his sunglasses to his face and grabbed the drumsticks. "Onward, my mighty team!" he declared.

"Sure, like you're our leader," Ryan snorted, but followed him, and Teddie laughed, watching them for a moment before following them on stage.

Hearing the cheers of her friends, Teddie grinned and waved, before glancing to Ryan, who winked at her. Taking a breath, Teddie began to sing. Ryan and Jeremy played as Teddie focused on singing at first, before bringing in her own guitar, moving around and singing a much more upbeat song than earlier that day.

"She's brilliant," Arianna smiled brightly as they listened to Teddie.

"They all are," Olivia agreed.

"Music very good!" Koda shouted. After their performance, the three took a bow to the cheers. Teddie indicated for Jeremy and Ryan to head out and meet the others, and went backstage to grab her jacket. The two jumped off stage, waving to Chase as they saw him, and Teddie slipped behind the curtain. She froze, her eyes going wide, as she saw Heckyl sitting on one of the chests, looking at the photo from Teddie's pocket.

"Give me that," she snatched it from him, and he glanced up at her. Teddie blinked as she saw the bruises that lined his face. "Take a beating recently?" she asked coldly, making sure the photo wasn't damaged.

"An unfortunate occurrence. When Snide takes a beating, so do I, and vice versa," Heckyl shrugged, watching her. She didn't seem much worse for the wear after a fight that had briefly stolen her voice. His fist clenched at the thought of Snide's plan. "Unfortunate for him, really, I'm sure he's very eager to have me strung up," he considered with a shrug, playing it off.

"If you expect me to be sympathetic, you'll be waiting a while," Teddie told him, not moving. Her heart was slamming against her chest, and she knew she should call for the others. But she couldn't.

"Of course not. Why would I-"

"Heckyl. Why are you here?" Teddie cut him off before he could continue. His smirk dropped, and he stood up.

"I don't know," he admitted, staring at her.

"Snide says I've made you weak," the White Ranger accused him in a softer voice. He didn't answer, still watching her. After a moment, he moved towards her, faster than she expected, and kissed her with such force that she took a step back. Teddie responded, pushing herself up and letting herself get lost in his grasp. He pulled her closer, his hands trailing up her bare arms as hers lingered on his chest.

A moment later, she pushed him back, just enough to break the kiss, and she lowered her head as his tilted. "Stop..." she whispered as he kept close. "I can't do this," she lifted her head to meet his confused gaze. "Neither of us can. After all, we're on different sides," Teddie reminded him.

Her chest hurt as she forced herself to step back. Heckyl didn't speak, still looking conflicted. He couldn't understand why he'd kissed her again. He couldn't understand why he'd done it the first time, let alone a second. He was evil, though and through, and she was good. "I'm never going to give up my Energem," Teddie spoke, putting a hand to her chest as if to protect it. "And I doubt you're going to stop trying to destroy us to get them. Or stop Snide from doing that?" she challenged. His gaze hardened. Teddie shook her head, not surprised in the slightest as she gave a small laugh. "Just leave me alone, Heckyl. Because the next time you come at us," Teddie looked at him again, her determination clear. "I will fight you," she vowed, and turned away.

Heckyl stared at her for a moment longer. She'd turned her back to him. He could easily attack and take her Energem now. He put a hand to his own chest as it hurt. He couldn't make sense of it, or why he had no desire to attack.

"You're right. This won't happen again," he agreed. "And the next time we fight, well, you better do better than the last time if you want to hold onto that Energem," Heckyl sneered, turning and striding out. Teddie let out a ragged breath.

"You can stop hiding now Ivan," she murmured, and the Knight came into view.

"I did not mean to eavesdrop," he defended.

"Thank you, for not stepping in," Teddie shook her head, and to his surprise, she smiled. "Shall we go join the others?" she asked.

"Teddie..."

"I just want to forget about this," she told him before he could say anything. Ivan took a breath, and sighed. He then smiled at her.

"Very well, my lady. Congratulations on a most wonderful performance," he bowed to her, before offering his arm. "Shall we go and watch the rest of the performances, and see if you were victorious?" Ivan asked, and Teddie's smile grew.

"We shall," she linked arms with him, and he led her back to the others.

* * *

 **I'm onto the Silver Ranger arc, so much excitement!**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	10. Besties 4Eva

**Didn't think I'd get this chapter out tonight, my friend has been distracting me with his running commentary of playing Final Fantasy 9 and I've been crying laughing.  
**

 **But I persevered and finished another chapter, so here you go!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10: Besties 4Eva

"I still can't believe we came second," Ryan laughed, high-fiving Teddie as they lifted their guitars.

"Psh, non-believer," Teddie scoffed at him. "We knew we were awesome, right JJ?" she called over to to Jeremy, who was sitting watching them pack up.

"Of course. I had no doubt," he nodded, checking his watch. Teddie arched an eyebrow at his actions, noticing his distraction.

"Somewhere to be?" she asked him, and Jeremy looked up.

"I uh, got some training with dad," he admitted.

"Go if you want, we're just grabbing this stuff then heading to the café," Teddie offered. Jeremy nodded, still looking a little distracted as he stood and grabbed his jacket.

"Thanks guys, I'll catch you later," he waved, jogging off.

"Wonder what's going on with him," Ryan commented as they watched him rush out. "You know more about the Pai Zhuq side of his life, any clue?" he asked Teddie, who shrugged.

"Not a one," she admitted. "I never really got far into my Pai Zhuq training. My Ninja and Mystic training kinda took priority. Same with both Spence and Chase," Teddie told him, zipping up her guitar case. "He'll tell us if it's important, you know that. Besides, now that the competition is over, he can't really use it as an excuse to skip training," she grinned.

"True," Ryan laughed. "I've no idea what to do now," he considered.

"Then find something," Teddie smirked at him.

"Oh, wonderful idea Ted, _marvellous_ , I never would have thought of that," Ryan rolled his eyes, throwing a guitar pick at her. Teddie caught it, grinning back.

"Happy to help," she told him, and he rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's head to the museum before you go back to Reefside," Teddie grinned.

"Yeah yeah," Ryan straightened up, slinging his guitar over his back, before catching a helmet. "Uh...wait a second," he said dubiously, looking at the helmet in his hands.

"What? Come on, don't tell me you're scared," Teddie grinned at him as she walked towards the exit. "Prince Philip survived, I'm sure you'll be fine," she waved it off.

"I'm not so sure..." the dark haired young man muttered.

* * *

"Urgh...you're insane on that thing," Ryan grumbled as he pulled off the helmet and glowered at Teddie, who didn't seem at all affected.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied innocently. Ryan scoffed.

"Hey mate," Chase nodded to him as the two walked into the café. "Torturing you now?" he grinned. Teddie just continued to look innocent.

"What gave it away?" Ryan grumbled.

"You have the same expression as everyone when she tortures us," Olivia smirked.

"Oh thank god, people who understand," Ryan sighed happily, making them chuckle.

"Guys, this is Erin, by the way," Chase introduced the blonde young woman sitting at the table with them. "She's Shelby's best friend, in town for a few days," he explained.

"Oh! Hey, I've heard a lot about you," Teddie smiled, waving to Erin.

"All good things, I imagine," Erin winked back.

"I'm Teddie, and this is Ryan," the White Ranger introduced.

"Your accent! It's so cute! Are you guys related?" Erin gestured to Chase.

"Unfortunately," the two chimed together, and rolled their eyes at each other. "Chase is my nuisance little brother," Teddie told her, and Chase pushed her lightly.

"By about 7 minutes, brat," he argued.

"Still younger," Teddie sang.

"Yeah, and I'm older than the pair of you, so knock it off," Ryan grinned to the pair.

"Hey guys," Shelby approached, wearing her apron.

"I was just telling your friends about that dinosaur song from school, remember?" Erin smiled up at the Pink Ranger. "What a riot!" she laughed as Shelby smiled, remembering the song.

"Wait..." she thought about it. " _Life is like a triceratops_..."

" _And you know I love you triceralots_ ," Erin sang the next line.

"That's it!" Shelby nodded as the others grinned, not really surprised by the lyrics.

"Right after I wrote that song, we won the talent show with it," Erin told them, and both Teddie and Chase glanced to Shelby, whose smile became a little more forced. "We were like rock stars, right Shelby?" she looked up at her best friend.

"Yeah," Shelby nodded, too quick. "It's a great song. Oh, one minute till my shift's over, let's go find some fun!" she suggested, changing the subject.

"Oh, I'll help you clear these, then we can get outta here," Chase offered, taking some of the plates from the table.

"Same here," Teddie helped as well, and as Erin started on another story, the three walked away. "So. A triceratops song?" she asked Shelby as they brought the plates over to the kitchen.

"Erin's into dinosaurs too?" Chase asked, but didn't sound like he believed it as Shelby looked away.

"Actually, it's my triceratops song," Shelby admitted. The two glanced over to where Erin was still talking. "We sang it in the talent contest, and won first place," she smiled, but it quickly turned wry. "Then immediately, she started telling _everyone_ that she wrote it, even though she knew I wrote every word," she grumbled. Loud laughter echoed over from the booth, and Teddie and Chase looked over again as the Rangers laughed at something else Erin had said. "Yep," she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, she takes credit for _everything_ ," Shelby sighed.

"Shelby..." Teddie tilted her head, and Shelby shook hers.

"But she's still my bestie," she shrugged with a fond smile. "Come on," she bumped Chase lightly, heading back over to rejoin the others.

"Ouch, sounds kinda rough," Teddie commented as they watched Shelby talk away to Erin, who quickly brought the attention back to herself.

"Yeah," Chase agreed. "But she's gotta be nice, why would Shelby be best friends with her otherwise?" he asked, and Teddie shrugged as they walked over to rejoin their friends.

* * *

"Amber Beach is so nice," Erin said as they walked through the park carrying ice cream.

"You should check out the actual beach. The waves are amazing," Olivia told her.

"Oh, I might just have to do that. I _love_ the beach," Erin sighed happily. "Hey, Teddie, I know he's your brother and all, but Chase is _cute_ ," Teddie arched an eyebrow, her eyes going to Olivia, who kept her expression deceptively pleasant. "I gotta know, can you get me his number?" she asked, and Teddie laughed.

"Sorry, he's taken," she told Erin, who pouted.

"No way. By who?" she demanded. Olivia cleared her throat.

"Uh, me," she told the other blonde, who looked at her quickly.

"Really?" Erin asked, and Olivia tried not to feel offended at the look the girl gave her. "I thought he was a skateboarder," she commented.

"He is," Teddie turned her head away at Olivia's colder tone, hiding her laughter. "Is there a problem with that?" she asked. Erin just gave a laugh, raising her hands.

"Whoa, easy there, I'm just asking," she laughed, which only irritated Olivia more. "I mean you can't blame a girl for asking, he's cute. And I thought surfers and skateboarders didn't really mix," Erin shrugged.

"Hey Erin," Teddie spoke loudly before Olivia could snap. "Shelby tells me you're a dancer," she said, moving to stand between the two blondes.

"Oh, yeah," Erin puffed up, starting to talk about her dancing as Olivia took a deep breath, still very tempted to shove her ice cream in Erin's face. She wasn't normally a jealous girl, even with Chase being quite popular, but something about Erin really had rubbed her the wrong way. Teddie shot her a glance, offering a small smile, and Olivia managed one back.

"Hey guys!" Teddie called as they reached the rest of the group, who were waiting by a bench nearby. Nerida wagged her tail and ran over to them, and Erin immediately gasped, shying away from the dog.

"Relax, she's not going to hurt you," Olivia told her with an arched eyebrow. Nerida jumped up at her, and Olivia moved away. "These aren't for you," she told her dog sternly.

"My treat," Erin offered the ice cream in her hands to the others, who smiled in delight as Teddie frowned.

"What?" Teddie frowned as Shelby walked over. "But I paid for them..." she murmured, handing over one.

"Told ya," Shelby nodded.

"Oh, you guys got ice cream and didn't wait for us?" they glanced around at Arianna's hurt tone.

"I did offer," Philip reminded her. She turned to him and put her hands on her hips.

"I wanted to see if the others wanted to get ice cream too," Arianna told him firmly. Philip chuckled, looking to the others.

"Clearly they were not so considerate," he pointed out.

"We didn't think you'd join us," Chase admitted with a grin, enjoying his own ice cream.

"Yeah, we figured you'd be off gazing into each other's eyes and smiling and-"

"Teddie!" Arianna glared at her weakly as both went bright red. Teddie giggled, turning away and trying to look innocent. Erin pulled Shelby back, her eyes wide.

"You guys are friends with the _Prince_ of _Zandar_?!" she hissed, just loud enough for Shelby to hear, not realising that both Teddie and Chase heard her too.

"Uh, oh, yeah," Shelby nodded weakly, struggling to come up with a lie about just _how_ they knew Philip. Erin shook her head.

"I can't believe you never told me," she pouted. "You know I think he's super cute," she complained, and Shelby shrugged.

"Yeah, well, he's dating Arianna," she pointed out, and Erin huffed.

"First Chase, now a Prince. All the cute ones are taken. This _sucks_ ," she complained. Teddie glanced to Chase, who's grin was very subtle, but not missed by his sister. Shelby just rolled her eyes, not seeing the exchange nearby.

"At least someone's on my side," Arianna sniffed as Nerida jumped up at her, wagging her tail.

"I thought I was on your side," Philip commented mildly.

" _Other_ than you," Arianna smiled.

"She's just on your side because she thinks you have ice cream," Olivia smirked, whistling. Nerida immediately ran back over to her, and Arianna sighed.

"At least you still have Philip," Teddie winked at her, and Arianna glanced to the Graphite Ranger, who was trying to hide his laugh. She took his hand again, smiling with embarrassment as she leaned against him.

"Give me the groceries, lady!" their eyes widened as they saw a monster nearby, harassing a lady.

"It's a Spikeba-" Shelby stopped immediately as she remembered Erin was there. "Uh...everyone get to safety," she told the group, and Erin watched, baffled, as they split up, with Arianna putting a hand on Philip's arm before guiding Nerida away with Ryan, and the next thing Erin knew, everyone had vanished.

"Stop right there!" Morphed, the Rangers leapt into the Spikeball's path. "Let's get him!" Tyler shouted, leading the way to stop the Spikeball.

"What do you even want with those?" Olivia asked as the monster kept the stolen back of groceries close.

"Don't stick your nose where it don't belong!" the Spikeball snapped back, dodging them.

"It's kinda our place when you're stealing from old ladies!" Teddie leapt over his head and kicked him from behind. The Spikeball cried out, dropping the bag and landing on the ground as the contents spilled everywhere.

"No! Heckyl's gonna be furious!" the Spikeball wailed, getting back up. "You destroyed my cinnamon! Now I'll destroy _you_!" he roared.

"Cinnamon? This guy's crazy!" Shelby groaned as the Spikeball grabbed his weapon.

"All this for a little spice?" Olivia couldn't help but laugh. The fighting continued as the Rangers fought off the furious monster, and Tyler and Shelby kicked him back hard, winding the monster and making him double over in pain.

"Dino Morpher Blast! Final Strike!" they fired their powerful blasts, destroying it.

"Nice one!" the Rangers laughed at their victory.

"Let's go," Tyler nodded to his team, and they ran off to demorph somewhere quiet.

"I hope Erin got somewhere safe," Shelby commented. "Let's get back to the museum," she led the way back, hoping her friend was okay.

* * *

"I can't believe that stupid monster interrupted ice cream time," Teddie complained as they walked into the museum.

"Perhaps it was karma for not waiting for Arianna and I to get there?" Philip suggested, and Teddie shot him a glare. He didn't look at her, but wasn't hiding his grin as she glowered at him.

"Don't worry, we'll get ice cream once we find Erin," Riley told her.

"We better, and this time she really is paying for them," Teddie muttered, and Olivia grinned, hearing her declaration.

"Erin?" Shelby called as they walked into the café. Nerida barked, rushing over and jumping up at Olivia with her tail wagging. Olivia smiled, hugging her dog and laughing as Nerida licked her face.

"Um...guys?" Arianna called over, looking a little nervous. "You might want to see this," she gestured to where a couple of people were gathered around a laptop, showing a news report of the fight that had just taken place.

"It ain't good," Ryan warned, his arms folded, and the group drew closer, wondering what was so terrible.

' _I'm with the Pink_ Ranger,' the group started at the reporter's announcement. ' _Why reveal yourself to the world now_?' the reporter asked, and their eyes widened.

"Oh boy," Teddie whistled, looking to Shelby, who was staring at the screen with her mouth hanging open.

' _I just thought it was time the world knows who I really am_ ,' Erin replied, holding the Spikeball's club over her shoulder as she smiled for the camera. ' _I am the Pink Ranger_ ,' she announced.

"Wow..." Chase breathed.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Shelby's voice was raised, and she was shushed by the people watching the video.

"I can't believe Erin would do this," Tyler groaned. Shelby turned and walked away, frustrated to the point of tears.

"Shelby?" Koda followed her with Teddie. "Why you stop being Pink Ranger?" he asked, confused.

"No, Koda," Shelby shook her head, touched by his worry. "She's taking credit for something she didn't do. _Again_ ," she shouted.

"Tis ludicrous behaviour indeed," Ivan sighed as Teddie put an arm around the upset Pink Ranger.

"And it's a problem for everyone," they jumped as Ari seemed to materialise beside them.

"Do you have to do that?" Teddie rolled her eyes.

"Sorry. Both a pro and con of being a Ninja," Ari shrugged.

"What you mean, problem?" Koda asked.

"Yes, I don't quite understand either," Ivan agreed as the others walked over.

"Why do you think Rangers don't normally reveal themselves to the public?" Ari leaned against the table, looking at the group as they all approached.

"Publicity, I assumed?" Philip frowned.

"That too. I mean yeah, there's the good publicity over being a hero, but then there's the bad publicity over the city being destroyed and innocent people getting hurt," Ari started, her gaze on the news report. "But then there's the risk over their families, and themselves. _Especially_ if it's not true," she pointed out.

"The monsters would target them," Arianna spoke up, catching on. "And if they know that Erin's pretending to be the Pink Ranger, they'll go after her, and she'll be in a lot of danger," she said. Ari nodded.

"But Heckyl knows who we are," Teddie folded her arms. "Why would he go after Erin?" she asked.

"To put you in a difficult position, to lure you into a trap? There's a lot of ways that evil can take advantage of a situation like this," Ari warned them.

"Heckyl won't get a chance," Shelby growled, furiously wiping her tears away before they could fall. "When I see her, I'm going to-"

" _OMG_!" someone squealed nearby. "It's the Pink Ranger!" a girl gasped as Erin walked in, still carrying the Spikeball club.

"I'll get that thing away from her. Kendall will have fun studying it," Ari told the group, slipping away. As everyone crowded Erin, asking for autographs and clambering for pictures with her, the Rangers watched, unimpressed.

"I think it must be a relief for you, not being on the receiving end of this, eh?" Chase chuckled to Philip.

"I will admit, it is refreshing," he nodded as Shelby grabbed Erin's arm, pulling her away from the crowd and into the kitchen. However, after a minute, she turned and stormed out.

"I'm going to kill her," Shelby growled as she passed them.

"It went well, I'm guessing," Ivan spoke dryly as they watched her leave, and Erin chatted on the phone. She then blinked, looking around as she realised the club was gone.

"When did-"

"Ninjas dude," Ari popped up behind Philip, making him jump.

"Made it _impossible_ to get away with anything as a kid," Chase sighed, and Teddie nodded as Arianna giggled.

* * *

After Shelby had managed to calm down a bit, she and Kendall continued working on a new Charger, while Teddie, Ivan, Philip and Riley stood in the base with them.

"If this works, we should be able to channel all your Energem's powers, with the Victory Charger, not just the first six," Shelby explained as Kendall set up the machine.

"Sounds awesome," Teddie nodded.

"Indeed! We should call it...'Victory Maximum'!" Ivan suggested, his eyes lighting up at the idea.

"Uh...how about the 'Dino X Charger'?" Kendall suggested the name she and Shelby had already given the Charger.

"Brilliant!" Ivan nodded, liking the name as the others smiled in amusement. Their smiles fell, however, when the alarm blared.

"Guess the hunt for cinnamon continues," Teddie rolled her eyes.

"Alien bio-signs," Kendall nodded as she went to her computer.

"Let's go," Riley nodded to them, and they hurried out.

"Let's hope the famous Pink Ranger is nowhere near there," Ari commented as she walked past them, holding the Spikeball club in her hands.

* * *

Half-Bake and Wrench fought furiously in the middle of the park, with Wrench trying to take back the weapons that Half-Bake had stolen from the ship in his attempt to try and destroy the Rangers. They looked up as the Rangers ran into view, ready to fight them.

"Power Rangers! Finally, my chance!" Half-Bake cheered happily as Wrench backed away.

"Oh don't stop fighting," Tyler told them with a grin. "It'll only make destroying you easier!" he taunted. Half-Bake glared at them, waving a pot that seemed almost like a hammer.

"You'll never destroy me!" he shouted at them, running off.

"Uh...he's running away?" Teddie arched an eyebrow as they watched him run.

"I'll handle this one," Tyler volunteered, running after him.

"I've got the rest of you!" Wrench lifted his axe and charged at the rest of the Rangers. "There's ten million gigavolts of new power in my circuits, and I'm not afraid to use it!" he yelled, cutting across all of them and tossing them to the ground.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" Chase shot him before the robot could land a finishing blow on him, and quickly scrambled back to his feet.

"Now you've done it!" Wrench yelled, knocking Chase's blaster away. "I'm all fired up!" he roared, shoving Chase to the ground. The Black Ranger yelled in pain as the robot's metal knee slammed to his chest, pinning him down.

"Let him _go_!" Teddie tackled Wrench off her brother, kicking him back.

"Pachy Punch!" Philip's fist caught Wrench in the chest, and he yelped as red electricity started to bounce off him.

"I'm short circuiting again!" he wailed, managing to catch Philip's wrist before freezing up. He let out a cry as the electricity travelled up his arm as well.

"Tyler!" Shelby grabbed her Dino Com as all but she, Chase and Olivia ran to help Philip. "We need you!" she told their leader as Olivia helped Chase into a sitting position as he started to glow, healing his injured ribs.

"I think I'm gonna blow!" Wrench yelled, and a small explosion tossed everyone around him to the ground, and he landed nearby. Philip's suit smoked as he groaned, his entire body tingling.

"Guys! Are you okay?" Tyler shouted as he ran over to them.

"If they are, it's not for long!" Wrench yelled. "Vivix, rise!" he called on the creatures, and slumped, barely standing. "I need to recharge after that blast..." he groaned, turning and running off.

"I'll get Wrench," Chase volunteered. "You handle these guys," the others nodded, and Chase ran off, knocking any Vivix that tried to stop him aside. He called on his Dino Steel, and followed Wrench away.

"What a show off," Olivia rolled her eyes as she ducked under a punch.

"That's my bro for you," Teddie laughed, kicking one of the monsters back.

"You're really just stating the obvious at this point," Riley spoke up.

"She _does_ like to bring it up," Shelby added with a smirk, making Olivia frown. Shelby leapt over the heads of the Vivix, and blasted them. "I think she _likes_ it," she accused, and Olivia blushed.

"Don't be ridiculous," she denied it.

"It does seem that way," Philip agreed.

"Don't you enable them!" Olivia pointed at the Graphite Ranger. "They'll just keep going," she scolded as he laughed as well.

"Guys, stay back!" Tyler suddenly shouted. "These Vivix are gonna be toast," he warned, and the rest of the group moved out of the way. "Dino Charger, ready! Dino Morpher! Blaze Blast!" he fired a flaming shot that destroyed the Vivix in one blast. "Awesome!" he laughed.

"That very awesome," Koda nodded as they ran over to him.

"Chase! You okay?" Tyler spotted the Black Ranger.

"Yeah, I sent Wrench packing," Chase told them with a casual shrug. When the others started to laugh, he frowned in confusion, and Olivia went even redder.

"Knock it off," she punched Teddie, who yelped.

"It wasn't even just me!" she protested, hiding behind Ivan.

"Let's head back to base," Shelby laughed as Ivan quickly raised his hands in defence against Olivia.

"Sounds like a plan," Riley grinned, and they hurried off.

* * *

"How has nobody realised that she hasn't Morphed or anything in front of them yet?" Ryan wondered as he and Teddie watched the latest news report, where Erin had managed to reach the aftermath of the battle before the reporters again. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, smiling for the camera and soaking up the attention.

"Because people have been desperate to put faces to the mysterious Rangers who disappear after every battle without a trace," Teddie sighed, taking a drink of her milkshake. "Reporters have been offering a lot of money for anyone with info on who they are. Spencer even said SPD's been bugged for information, since not only has he been seen with them, but there was a teamup _against_ Spence a few months ago," she told her best friend, who sighed, shaking his head.

"Must be rough," he considered, and grinned. "I could make a killing selling you guys out," he considered, and Teddie rolled her eyes, knowing he wasn't serious. "But then there wouldn't be time for band stuff, and I've already barely got time for that as it is," Ryan grumbled, leaning back in his seat.

"Must be hard, balancing being a musician and studying to be a palaeontologist," Teddie commented.

"It is," Ryan sighed dramatically, making Teddie smile in amusement. Their smiles fell as they heard screaming from the laptop, and looked at the screen quickly to see Half-Bake pulling Erin away.

"Oh crap," Teddie groaned, getting to her feet. Ryan whistled, watching the footage as Teddie sprinted off to get to base.

* * *

"Guys?" Teddie called as she ran into the base.

"Saw it too," Riley called over to her as they worked on trying to find Erin, who had been dragged off by the monster.

"We're getting nothing," Kendall frowned as Shelby panicked, scared for her best friend.

"We'll find her," Teddie put her arm around Shelby, trying to comfort her. Shelby nodded as she wiped away her tears, hoping Teddie was right.

"Her cell phone," Chase suggested. "We could track her by GPS," he pointed out. Shelby shook her head.

"Her phone's dead," the Pink Ranger sighed, before pausing, her eyes lighting up in realisation. "She has my phone!" she remembered.

"That'll work," Tyler smiled at her.

"Wait!" Kendall rushed away from the computer and back to her machine as it beeped loudly. "The Dino X Charger is finally ready," she smiled, handing the Charger over to Ivan. "If it's as powerful as I think it is, we can finally defeat Heckyl," she said confidently.

"Shall we?" Ivan walked away as the others picked up a trace on Shelby's phone.

"We shall," Tyler grinned. Ivan put a hand on Teddie's shoulder, and she smiled back softly, nodding to him.

* * *

Shelby led the group through town as they tracked her phone using her Dino Com. So focused on finding Erin, she almost collided with a group of people before Tyler caught her and pulled her back. Eventually, she slowed to a stop, frowning in confusion.

"The GPS says Erin and my phone should be right here," Shelby frowned.

"Uh..." Olivia pointed, and they looked at the metal cover of a sewage drain. It lay askew, and Olivia groaned. "This is gonna be gross," she complained. They pulled the cover off and jumped down one by one, Morphing as they did.

"Urgh, smells worse than the Pegasi stables in the Dunedin Kingdom!" Teddie complained, putting a hand to her helmet in an attempt to shield herself from the smell.

"Bet you didn't see this coming when you found the Graphite Energem," Chase elbowed Philip.

"It didn't really cross my mind, no," the Prince shook his head, trying not to inhale.

"Come on, the sooner we find Erin, the sooner we get out of here," Ivan coughed.

"Okay, we're getting close," Shelby told the others as she looked at her still beeping Com. "Come on, let's find Erin!" she ran off, and the others followed. They splashed through the water, with Koda still groaning at the smell, suffering worse than the others thanks to his heightened senses. "According to the GPS, she should be just up ahead," Shelby told the others as they slowed to a stop.

"Come on," Tyler nodded as Shelby returned her Com to her belt.

"Welcome!" Half-Bake's voice echoed through the tunnels of the sewers, making them look around in surprise.

"The monster," Kendall frowned.

"You've fallen right into my trap," Half-Bake laughed as he appeared from behind a pillar. "Give me your Energems, and you'll get your precious Pink Ranger back," he threatened them.

"Dude. You kinda need to _have_ the Pink Ranger to use her as leverage," Teddie smirked at him.

"What?" Half-Bake frowned, not understanding what she meant. He then gasped as Shelby walked into view, and he stumbled backwards in alarm.

"You've been messing with the wrong Pink Ranger!" Shelby snapped at him.

"But I had the Pink-"

"Dino Charger, ready!" Tyler shouted. "Activate! T-Rex Super Charge, ready!" he called on his battilizer.

"Time for you to sample the chef's special!" Half-Bake shouted, furious that his plan had failed. He lifted his hammer, and hit it into the pot. He pulled out what seemed like dough, and hurled it at the Rangers. Chase stepped forwards, raising a shield, and the dough split apart, pelting the shield.

"Guys, when I drop it, take them out!" the Black Ranger shouted.

"No problem," Riley nodded, grabbing his sabre. The shield suddenly dropped, and the dough flew at the Rangers, but they easily cut through it with their swords. Half-Bake yelped in fear.

"Better break out the Burr Bombs!" he cried, throwing spiked bombs at the Rangers. They exploded, but the Rangers easily leapt through the flames and rushed the terrified alien. He swung his hammer, but they dodged it, cutting across him and forcing him to drop it before Koda and Riley leapt in, both striking him.

"What you really need a taste of is your own medicine!" Tyler grabbed the hammer, and with his super strength, slammed it against Half-Bake and threw the monster through a wall.

"Nice shot," Philip complimented as they stood together again.

"I should have had a Plan B..." Half-Bake coughed as he managed to get to his feet, stumbling.

"I have a better idea!" Tyler grinned, walking forwards. "Let's try our new Victory Maximum Attack!" he declared.

"I thought we weren't going for that name," Teddie commented. Kendall just shrugged.

"Dino Victory Charger, ready!"

"Dino X Charger, ready!" Tyler and Ivan held out the Chargers.

"Together! Dinosaur Might, ready to fight!"

"Dino X Charger, ready!"

"T-Rex Super Charge! Victory Maximum, Final Strike!" the power of all their Energems flew at Half-Bake, who shrieked.

"I'm toast!" he wailed, exploding as the attack slammed into him.

"Now that was awesome!" Olivia laughed.

"Quick! Let's go find Erin," Shelby told them, rushing off past them to find her friend.

"I'm in here! Help me!" they heard Erin scream, and turned a corner to find her trapped in pastry.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," Riley told her awkwardly, hoping she didn't realise who they were.

"Thanks...I was about to be dessert," Erin sighed in relief, her voice shaking as tears stained her face.

"Dude, gross," Teddie muttered.

"I dunno, I think it suits her better," Olivia murmured back.

"Jealousy is unbecoming, Oli," the White Ranger grinned. Olivia rolled her eyes.

"I'm not jealous," she grumbled, making Teddie giggle as Shelby freed Erin.

"Are you okay?" Ivan and Riley helped her up. Chase helped too, but seemed to shy away as she went to lean on him. Teddie snorted.

"Yeah...I'm fine now," Erin nodded, but as she stood, the tears started to stream down her face again and she burst into tears. "I'm so sorry...I should never have taken credit for what you guys did," she told Shelby between sobs, and the Pink Ranger put a hand on her shoulder. Erin shook, still terrified. "I just got caught up in all the attention," she admitted.

"Damn, I can't even feel the need to be mean any more," Olivia complained quietly.

"I was so scared...I don't know how you do it," Erin sniffed, trying to stop her tears. "I'm sorry," she apologised again.

"It's okay. Apology accepted," Shelby smiled softly.

"Let's get you out of here," Tyler approached them, and Erin nodded, all too happy to oblige.

"Thank heavens for that," Philip sighed with relief, and Koda nodded his agreement.

* * *

Emerging from the sewers, the Rangers and Erin breathed in deeply, trying to clear their senses of the sewer smell.

"I am showering for a week after this," Riley declared, before the ground began to shake.

"My dough is rising!" Half-Bake burst out of the ground, growing massive as the Rangers backed away.

"Hold up guys! Looks like we've got a _giant_ problem," Tyler couldn't help but laugh.

"Urgh, that's what you went with?" Teddie rolled her eyes.

"I agree, it could have been better," Philip nodded.

"Weren't you told something about you _not_ enabling them?" Tyler rolled his eyes, and Philip shrugged.

"I believe the phrase is something along the lines of 'if you can't beat them, join them'," he defended.

"Miss, you need to go somewhere safe," Shelby told Erin, who stared up fearfully.

"Okay," Erin nodded, running off.

"Summon Zords!" Ivan, Olivia and Chase summoned the Ptera, Scelido and Para Zords, combining them.

"Dino Charger, ready!" Shelby called on the Dino Super Drive Sabre.

"Ptera Charge Megazord, Para-Scelio Formation, ready!" the Rangers faced Half-Bake, ready to fight.

"Beastly Burr Bomb!"

"Para Zord Blast!" the Rangers fired the attack as Half-Bake threw the massive bomb, and raised the Scelido Shield to defend themselves as it exploded in Half-Bake's face.

"They blasted my beautiful Burr!" he wailed as he stumbled backwards.

"It's time we turn up the heat on this dough boy," Shelby growled. "Dino Super Drive Sabre, Activate!" she called on the powers, lighting up the sabre. "Dino Super Drive Sabre...Ptera Lightning Blitz!"

"My goose is cooked!" Half-Bake yelled as the powerful lightning flew at him and slammed into him, destroying the monster.

"Another one bites the dust," Ivan grinned.

"Monster extinct," Shelby smiled.

* * *

Sitting in the café, the Rangers watched as Erin held a press conference, making a formal apology for claiming to be the Pink Ranger.

"It took a lot of guts to stand up and apologise," Tyler commented, impressed.

"Hear hear," Ivan nodded.

"She's pretty cool, huh?" Shelby smiled, proud of her best friend. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Shelby?" they looked up as Erin approached them, looking a little more nervous.

"Hey Erin," Shelby greeted her.

"Hey everyone," the blonde greeted awkwardly, and they smiled back. "Shelby, can we talk?" she asked, and the Pink Ranger followed her away to talk quietly.

"Seems she's learned her lesson," Chase commented.

"So you don't need to get awkward around her?" Teddie smirked at him, making him frown. "Please, I saw you dodge her touch earlier," she accused.

"You're such a snitch," Chase hissed at her, aware he was going very red as the others watched him.

"What are you on about?" Olivia frowned, not understanding.

"We overheard Erin say about how _cute_ Chase and Philip are," the Prince blinked, not having expected to be involved in the conversation. "And afterwards, Chase made a point of keeping away from her," Teddie smirked.

"I'm going to end you," Chase threatened, lunging at his sister. She danced away, laughing.

"It's what you get after you told mum I used my magic to stop Ryan using his ptera-scream," Teddie smirked.

"Huh?" Ryan frowned.

"Ptera-scream?" Ivan repeated curiously as Teddie ran off.

"I'll show you sometime," Ryan laughed, checking his phone. "Hey Teddie! When you're done getting your butt handed to you," he called into the kitchen as Teddie darted around the grill to avoid her brother. "You hear from Jeremy?" he asked. Teddie pulled out her phone, and shook her head.

"Nothing ye-" she was cut off with a shriek as Chase tackled her to the ground.

"Children, behave!" Ivan hurried in to stop them. The others couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Jogging along the beach, Jeremy let out a loud laugh, splashing in the water as the tide started to come in.

"Man, I gotta show them, they're gonna be so psyched!" he spun in a circle, throwing out his arms. "This is so cool!" he yelled into the wind, unable to hide his excitement as he looked at the black mark that stood out against his skin.

Stopping at the shore, the blond young man faced the ocean and let out a howl as the wind batted at him, tugging at his jacket. He laughed again, before noticing something sparkling in the sand, barely sticking out by his feet. "Shiny," he commented idly, crouching to pull it out. Lifting it up, he admired the silver-like gem in the setting sun.

"Hey Jeremy, you coming or what?" Minos called from the sand, keeping away from the water. "Your dad's apparently going nuts waiting," he chuckled.

"Oh, sure," Jeremy slid the stone into his pocket, jogging back to the shore to his teacher.

* * *

 **So...yeah...bit of a change there.**

 **Hope you like it!**

 **Please review!**


	11. Silver Saviour

**Had a few issues with this chapter last night so thought I'd reupload it now!**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Silver Saviour

"There I stood!" the large white anthropomorphic cat wearing the clothes of a genie exclaimed to his enraptured audience. "Face to face with the dreaded pirate, Half-Nose!" he exclaimed.

"I've not seen Jenji this happy in some time," Althea smiled, standing beside Chase and Teddie.

"I suppose it may have something to do with being able to tell the story to people who _haven't_ heard it 500 times," Chase grinned to her. Althea nudged him lightly.

"Now now, be nice," she chided, but there was no sternness in her voice as she watched Jenji tell his story to the Dino Charge Rangers.

It had been a quiet few days, and Ari had suggested to Teddie and Chase that they visit Daggeron and Althea at Rootcore, and they brought along Shelby, Riley, Koda, Olivia and Ivan as well.

"How you escape?" Koda asked, fascinated.

"I'm glad you asked!" Jenji nodded with delight at the Blue Ranger.

"Teddie! Chase!" the two looked around and smiled, before Teddie let out a yelp as she was almost knocked off her feet. "Dad told me you were here!" Krista smiled, hugging her younger cousin, who laughed.

"It's good to see you Kris," Teddie smiled, hugging her back before the tall blonde young woman released her to hug Chase.

"I'm so glad I didn't pick up an extra shift at the library," Krista smiled, always excited to see her cousins. "And Oli's here too!" she rushed over to hug Olivia, who smiled.

"When I see Krista, there's always a part of me that wonders if mum really was adopted," Teddie grinned, and Althea laughed.

"She definitely has the same excitable personality as your mum," the Lunar Knight agreed. "But Joe could always be very similar. It's probably why they always got along so well," she considered.

"So come on," Shelby grinned as Jenji finished his story. "You guys have got to tell us embarrassing stories about those two," she nodded to Teddie and Chase.

"Hey, that's not why we're here!" Teddie protested.

"Please, like we're visiting your family without hearing something good," Shelby smirked at them.

"I'm going to find your Grandfather and Ivan. They're bound to be showing off right about now," Althea chuckled, turning and walking off, but glanced back, her smile fading as she watched Teddie. It seemed she was doing better since Phineas had helped her into Rootcore badly injured, but Althea was still worried about her. She'd never seen the girl so upset. She bottled up her feelings and cried like her mother, but never to such an extent.

She just hoped Teddie would be okay.

* * *

Tyler hit the ground with a thud, and groaned, but it was mixed with a laugh.

"Who's teaching you these things?" he asked Arianna as she stood over him with a smile, offering her hand. He took it and she pulled him back to his feet before stepping back.

"Philip mostly. And my dad, before he headed back to Mercuria to tell mum how things are going," Arianna told him, making Tyler grin. The two continued sparring, with Tyler holding back on the much less experienced girl, who had only recently started to spar with the Rangers. He then grinned, and vanished, and Arianna's eyes widened. "Tyler, that's not fair!" she complained.

"It's just fun 'Anna, catch me!" Tyler laughed, and Arianna squeaked as he poked her side.

"Not funny!" Arianna scolded him, moving around to try and figure out how to hit the giggling Red Ranger. "Tyler!" she groaned, and yelped as he poked her again. She whirled around, and her fingers brushed his shirt, making Arianna let out a frustrated huff.

"Thank you, please keep it confidential," Philip walked into the base, followed by James, as he ended a call. "The Zandarian Science Academy have just informed me that they've found no trace of the Silver Energem," he announced. "They've searched everywhere that's remotely possible," Philip told them, before glancing around as Arianna let out a startled shriek, hoisted into the air by an unseen force.

" _Tyler_!" she wailed, and the Red Ranger became visible with a laugh.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he grinned, letting her down. Arianna punched his shoulder, and rushed away from him, hiding behind Philip.

"If they've searched everywhere, where can it be?" Kendall frowned, ignoring their antics as she thought about it.

"Maybe someone found it?" Arianna suggested. "Didn't you say that Olivia's Forest Energem was a family heirloom?" she asked, and Kendall's frown only grew.

"And Chase got his from that fortune teller, who knows where she got it," Tyler nodded. Kendall didn't speak, thinking about it.

"Hey guys," Spencer called as he walked in.

"How'd it go back in New Tech?" Kendall asked as he stretched.

"Ah, you know, kicked some criminal butt. Then headed back here to see how things are going," Spencer explained with an easy smile. "Oh, and a message from Kayden," he remembered. "Still no luck tracking the Silver Energem unfortunately, so it's definitely not bonded to anyone," he told them.

"There goes another idea," Tyler sighed.

"No luck on your ends either?" Spencer guessed, looking to Philip and James.

"Nothing," James sighed. "Mack's looking into it farther, to see if it might have ended up like the Gold Energem," he considered.

"Arianna might be right. Someone may have it," Philip considered.

"If that's true, then we need to find them before Heckyl and Fury do," Kendall worried.

* * *

Kendall and Spencer talked quietly, discussing a way to be able to locate the Silver Energem, while the others practised, hoping they'd come up with a solution.

"Maybe we should have gone with the others to Briarwood," Tyler considered as he pushed James back. "Think of all the embarrassing stories about Chase and Teddie," he sighed.

"Shelby said she'd find out some good stories for us," Arianna giggled, slipping out of Philip's grasp and darting behind him. She grabbed for his wrist, but he caught her hand before she could, spinning her around. After the brief disorientation, Arianna gripped his hand back, moving in closer before he could pin her into submission, and pushed up to kiss him. Taken by surprise, Philip took a step back before catching her and lifting her slightly, letting her rest her arms around his shoulders.

"Uh, that doesn't look like sparring to me guys," James called to the pair. The two ignored him, and Tyler shook his head with a small laugh.

"I feel James may have a point," Philip whispered when he drew back, but didn't let her go. Arianna grinned back, her toes barely skimming the ground.

"I think it was a fair tactic against you," she teased, her forehead resting against his.

"Only when it's you using it," he told her, making Arianna giggle.

"Hey guys, when you're quite done," Tyler chuckled at the pair, and Philip let Arianna down. "Let's swap partners," he told them.

"You're going with Tyler," Arianna told Philip, still not having forgiven Tyler for their earlier sparring. The Red Ranger smiled mischievously, and Arianna scowled at him, her hands on her hips. "You're not funny," she scolded. The alarm suddenly blared, and they looked around.

"Looks like your practice will have to wait," Kendall went to her computer to see what the problem was. "Singe and Fury in town. Can you guys handle it?" she asked the three, who nodded. "I'll call the others and join you," Kendall told the three Rangers, who hurried out, calling on their Energems as they left. Arianna bit her lip, her worry returning.

"Just Singe and Fury?" she asked, turning to Kendall.

"It is strange," the Purple Ranger agreed.

"I still want to know what Singe is doing here," she and Arianna looked to Spencer as he spoke, his arms folded. "And why he's working for Heckyl now instead," he muttered.

* * *

"Only three?" Singe commented as Tyler, James and Philip stood Morphed in front of him. "I suppose this will give me less of a headache than usual," he commented, putting a hand to his head.

"Quit complaining, you wax fool!" Fury snapped at him, his sword raised.

"We don't need a full team to take you down," Tyler told them confidently. "Dino Charger, ready! T-Rex Super Charger, Activate!" Tyler called on the extra armour.

"We'll take Singe, you handle Fury," James told Tyler, who nodded.

"Great plan!" Tyler grinned, rushing at Fury and ducking under his sword.

"Oh, you think you can 'take' me, without your box of crayon Rangers?" Singe asked, lifting his blaster. Philip visibly tensed, remembering the last time he was on the receiving end of the powerful weapon. "Remembering something?" Singe mocked, seeing his reaction.

"You alright?" James whispered to the Graphite Ranger, who nodded stiffly.

"Fine," Philip replied quietly.

"This time you won't have someone to save your sorry ass!" Singe declared, firing a blast. The two leapt out of the way, and it smashed through a building.

"Whoa," Jeremy murmured, watching the three fight fiercely, with James and Philip dodging each blast of Singe's weapon. He was fascinated, never having been so close to a real monster fight. He backed away, knowing he should move somewhere safe, as Tyler chased Fury out of sight.

"You two fools will _never_ be enough to beat me!" Singe blasted the ground suddenly, throwing James and Philip back. They cried out as they were thrown through the air, before Singe flung out an arm, and another powerful blow slammed them to the ground, shattering their Morph. "Ah, finally, my headache..." he sighed as Jeremy peered out.

"They need help..." he whispered as the two lay on the ground. While James was out cold, Philip was swimming in and out of consciousness as blood ran from a blow to the head. He looked around, but there was no sign of the others. "Oh...dammit," Jeremy groaned, and ran into view.

"What?!" Singe yelled, right before a massive wolf spirit cloaked in a purple haze rammed him, howling loudly.

"Dude, step back," Jeremy warned, falling into a fighting stance in front of the two Rangers. The wolf spirit floated over him, snarling.

"No...don't..." Philip tried to say, before pain and darkness swallowed him up.

"Who are you?" Singe demanded, groaning. "Another wannabe hero...my headache is coming back," he complained.

"I'm no-one important dude," Jeremy rolled up his sleeves. "So get lost, or you'll have to fight me," he threatened. Singe gave a small laugh.

"If you're no-one important, I doubt you'll be much of a challenge," Singe scoffed, and Jeremy threw out a hand. Snarling, his violet wolf bounded at Singe, but before the alien could shoot him down, Jeremy was in close and slamming his knee into Singe's stomach.

Singe let out a pained grunt as his back collided with a hard wall, and he fired a shot that narrowly missed Jeremy as the blond moved quickly. As Singe fired again, Jeremy got in close and kicked the blaster from his hand. "No!" Singe growled, moving away.

"I told you to get lost," Jeremy reminded him, standing opposite the flame-like alien.

"You'll pay for this boy," Singe warned, before his eyes widened. Jeremy frowned, and looked down as a silver light emitted from his pocket.

"What?" Jeremy frowned, and lifted the gemstone he'd found a few days before, and found that it was shining brightly. The light started travelling up his arm, and his wolf, still materialised, howled loudly as the violet aura that surrounded him started to colour silver, before he vanished. "What's happening?" he asked, before he stumbled, an image filling his thoughts of a massive silver dinosaur with a long neck that let out a soft, almost melodic sound. When Jeremy came to, he found his outfit had changed. "Oh, _no way_ ," he couldn't help but laugh as he stared at the white gloves, which covered a silver suit. He put his hands to his head, finding a helmet protecting it. "No _way_!" Jeremy laughed, bouncing on the spot. "I'm a _Power Ranger_?" he laughed in disbelief.

"The Silver Ranger..." Singe growled.

"Wh...what?" James finally came to, looking up as he pushed himself into a sitting position. As his vision cleared, his eyes widened. "It can't be...Philip!" he turned, kneeling beside the still unconscious Prince, whose head was bleeding. "Philip, come on buddy, wake up," James shook him, and Philip's eyes opened slowly, looking confused.

"What's going on?" he asked slowly, going to put a hand to his head, but James stopped him from touching the wound.

"Look!" he pointed, and Philip glanced over in shock as Jeremy glanced around.

"Uh...hey guys," he waved awkwardly.

* * *

Spencer and Kendall ran towards the fight, knowing that it had not been going in their favour when they'd left the base.

"I hope they'll be okay," Kendall worried. She looked to Spencer when his Morpher started to beep, and he flipped it open.

"What's up?" he asked.

' _Spence! It's there_!' Kayden's frantic yell made him frown. ' _It just...appeared! I don't know what's going on, but-_ '

"Kayden, elaborate, please," Spencer requested as they kept running.

' _The Silver Energem_!" before they realised it, both Spencer and Kendall stopped running at Kayden's yell. ' _My system just picked up a Silver signature, in Amber Beach! And since Annie's y'know, here and out of commission, it can't-_ '

"Where?" Spencer demanded.

' _Right by the Graphite and Aqua signatures_ ,' Kayden told him.

"Thanks Kayden," Spencer ended the link, and the two kept running.

* * *

"No," Singe shook his head. "You _won't_ be a full team!" he told Jeremy, who fell into a fighting stance.

"Oh, was I the last one? Awesome!" he laughed, and rushed Singe. The alien blocked his kick, but was shoved back. With a growl, Singe turned and sprinted off, but Jeremy followed him. "So this is what dad meant by a rush of power..." the new Silver Ranger considered as he noted his increased speed, barely even out of breath.

"You're still new...so you'll be perfect!" Singe suddenly turned, and fired a blast. Jeremy's eyes widened, and he barely dodged the blast. He hadn't realised Singe had picked up his weapon again.

"I'm still new...but I'm not a novice at the fighting thing," Jeremy warned him, rushing him. He ducked under the wave of power flung at him, sliding along on his knees before he rolled forwards and kicked Singe, throwing him back.

"So it would seem," Singe managed to stay on his feet, and as Jeremy rushed him again, Singe chuckled. "Flame Flare!" the pillar of fire slammed into Jeremy before he could move, much faster than the other attacks. Jeremy let out a yell, slamming into a wall and breaking through it. He landed hard on his side, and the Morph broke.

"Uh oh..." Jeremy groaned, holding up the Silver Energem. "Uh...work? Please?" he shook it, trying to call on the power again, before looking up as Singe stood over him.

"Sleep tight, Silver Ranger," he smirked, slamming his blaster's hilt into the side of Jeremy's head. The young man crumpled, hitting the ground, and the Silver Energem rolled out of his hand.

* * *

"James! Prince Philip!" Kendall shouted as she and Spencer reached the pair. "Are you alright?" she asked, and her eyes widened as she saw the blood pouring from Philip's head.

"I um..." he struggled to keep focused, supported by James.

"He hit his head when we went down," James told the two, and Spencer demorphed, starting to glow.

"I'll take him," he offered, helping Philip sit back down.

"But he's in trouble..." the Graphite Ranger groaned.

"The Silver Ranger?" Kendall guessed, and James looked to her, surprised. He nodded.

"Yeah, he went after Singe. I heard some explosions, but..."

"Urgh...why can you never stay down?" Singe complained as he walked back into view, looking at Philip as Spencer healed the cut across his forehead.

"Sorry about the blood dude. You feel any better?" Spencer asked him.

"Everything's still a little hazy, but I can focus again," Philip admitted. "Thank you," he went to stand, but Spencer pushed him back down.

"Ivan would kick my ass for manhandling you, but he'd beat me into next year if I let you fight like this. Just take a break," Spencer told him.

"But-"

"Do I have to confiscate your Charger?" Spencer grinned, and Philip sighed.

"No..." he muttered, and Spencer laughed. "What's so funny?" the Graphite Ranger questioned.

"You reminded me of Chase when our Gramps tells him off," Philip frowned, before Spencer got to his feet.

"Where's the Silver Ranger?" Kendall demanded.

"Oh, that charming young man? He ran off," Singe shrugged. "Now maybe you pests should do the same...you know, after you've handed over your Energems," he suggested.

"Not gonna happen," James stood beside Kendall, and Spencer stood on her other side.

"You got that right!" a blast clipped Singe, making him snarl and step back, and the rest of the Rangers reached the group.

"Whoa, you alright?" Teddie asked Philip, seeing the blood drying on his face.

"I've had better days," he admitted.

"Where's Tyler?" Chase asked, seeing that they were still missing their leader.

"Right here!" Tyler landed beside them. "Sorry I took so long, that cat just doesn't know when to quit," he complained as Fury stormed back over to Singe.

"You fool! There were only two of them and you had them! What happened?!" he roared. Singe just shrugged.

"The crayons are persistent," he commented idly, looking away. "I was about to destroy them when a bug got in my way," Singe complained.

"What aren't you telling me Singe?!" Fury demanded, snarling at him.

"Yeah Singe!" everyone looked to Spencer as he called over. "Why aren't you telling him about the Silver Ranger?" he asked innocently.

" _What_!?" it wasn't just Fury yelling in shock.

"I didn't-"

"What? Think it was relevant to Fury's interests?" Spencer called, smirking slightly. "To Heckyl's?" he asked.

"Shut your _mouth_!" Singe fired a shot, but Spencer's shield blocked it.

"Of course, he isn't your real master, is he? Were you saving the information for your real boss?" Spencer continued as Fury scowled and Singe glanced to him, suddenly seeming nervous.

"What are you talking about Spence?" Teddie asked curiously.

"Who _is_ your real boss, Singe?" Fury snarled, turning on Singe.

"I don't know what he's-"

"Lord Arcanon, right?" Singe swore at Spencer's loud voice that echoed around the square.

" _What_?!" Fury roared, clearly recognising the name. "You'll pay for this Singe!" he swung his sword, but Singe reacted faster, shooting him. The cat screamed in pain as he hit the ground, blood oozing from the burn. "You've made your last mistake, Singe! Master Heckyl will be sure to hear about this!" Fury swore, pushing himself up and running off before Singe could stop him.

"Thank you, for that," Singe growled to Spencer.

"Happy to help," Spencer smirked back. Singe growled, aiming his blaster at them.

"Ready guys!" Tyler shouted to his team, holding out his Charger.

"Oh yeah," Shelby nodded with a confident smile.

"Dino Victory Charger, ready!"

"Dino X Charger, ready!" Tyler and Ivan held out the Chargers.

"Together! Dinosaur Might, ready to fight!"

"Dino X Charger, ready!"

"T-Rex Super Charge! Victory Maximum, Final Strike!" the power of all their Energems combined together and was thrown at Singe.

"Flame Flare!" he fired the powerful attack at the same time, and the two attacks slammed into each other. They pushed against each other for a moment, before exploding, tossing both sides back. Singe landed hard, his body smoking from the explosion, as the Rangers groaned, demorphed.

"You'll pay in due time, Rangers," Singe vowed. "Just wait..." he warned, staggering off.

* * *

"I can't believe Silver Ranger just disappear..." Koda frowned as the group returned to the base, scratching his head.

"I can't believe the Silver Ranger just _showed_ up like that," Riley spoke, throwing his hands in the air.

"I hear that," Teddie nodded. "Who even were they?" she wondered.

"Yeah, did either of you even get a look?" Chase looked to James and Philip, who definitely looked the worst out of the group.

"Not till he was Morphed," James shook his head.

"I...I sort of remember," Philip put a hand to his head. "Not much, it's almost all a blur. I'm sorry," he sighed, unable to remember the mysterious Silver Ranger.

"And unfortunately, the surveillance cameras were trashed in the fight," Spencer sighed.

"Like we'd get that lucky," Tyler groaned as Arianna rushed over.

"What happened to you?" she questioned, seeing the dried blood on Philip's face.

"I'm okay, Spencer healed me," he soothed, putting his hands on her shoulders. Not seeming to be listening, Arianna pulled him away to sit him down and take a look herself. "It's okay," Philip insisted, but let her fuss over him, smiling very slightly as he pulled her into a hug. She clung to him, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like an insult against him.

"I wonder what happened to the Silver Ranger," Teddie murmured, rubbing her arm as they wondered what to do. "I have a bad feeling about this," she commented softly.

"Hopefully they're somewhere safe," Chase patted her shoulder, but he looked just as worried as she did.

* * *

When he finally came to, Jeremy was rewarded with severe pain in his head. The blow had half-blinded him, making it hard to see. He eventually realised that he couldn't move much; his hands and legs were bound.

"That damn Ranger...all of them, ruining my plans," he didn't move as Singe stormed past him.

" _Singe_!" Jeremy heard a growling voice, and could just make out the feline alien he'd seen earlier that day, standing with someone else.

"You're too late!" Singe yelled, backing into his ship as he glared at Fury and Heckyl. "You think I'm bad, just wait! My boss is _far_ worse than you!" he threatened.

"If you come back here Singe, I _will_ destroy you," Heckyl warned him, his hand glowing blue.

"Hah!" Singe scoffed. "If Snide told me right, I imagine you told that pretty little White Ranger exactly the same thing!" he mocked. Jeremy frowned, not understanding what Teddie had to do with anything they were saying, but it clearly wasn't the wisest thing to say. Heckyl's eyes flashed with barely restrained rage, and he threw his hand out. Singe dove into the ship, managing to hit the button to close the door before Heckyl's full power hit him. The ship jolted, making him hiss a curse, but he managed to get it flying, though it smoked dangerously as it shot into the air. The two on the ground glared at the ship as it made it's escape, and Singe let out a breath. "My master will have a lot of fun with you, Silver Ranger," he looked down at Jeremy, who groaned, passing out again.

* * *

 **So Jeremy's off to a good start as the Silver Ranger...or not.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	12. Catching Some Rays

**Another update? I am on a serious roll!**

 **This was one I was hesitant to write at first, but I started to really enjoy it!**

 **Hope you like it too!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Catching Some Rays

Letting out a frustrated huff, Ari leaned back in her chair, frowning at the laptop as if blaming it.

"No luck?" Kendall asked her.

"Nothing. You'd think the recordings would have been saved but _nothing_ ," Ari groaned, running a hand through her hair. "Even with help, I can't find anything more than a glimpse of someone running into the fight to help," she grumbled. She'd called in help from not only SPD, but the Hartford family's satellites, and even Cam and Ethan, but no-one could find anything.

"What about tracking the Silver Energem?" Arianna asked.

"It left the city shortly after our fight," Kendall told her. "Spencer went back to New Tech to see if there was anything they could search for, but nothing showed up on Kayden's systems either," she added, just as fed up as Ari.

"Could they simply have run off?" Ivan wondered. "Too afraid of their new power?" he suggested.

"I don't believe so," Keeper shook his head, standing with them. "The Silver Energem would never bond to someone who didn't have the courage to wield the powers for good," he told them, making the group frown.

"And he didn't seem too freaked out when I saw him Morphed," James agreed. "He seemed kind of...excited. He fought like a pro," he told them.

"Fought like a pro..." Ari sighed, shaking her head. "A lot of people want to become Rangers, especially after SPD's victory was broadcast worldwide last year when they defeated Grumm," she considered.

"I'm returning to Zandar to see if I'm able to find anything," Philip told them as he approached, looking completely fine, as if he hadn't taken a blow to the head in the fight against Singe.

"And I'm going to take a look around too," James added in. "Mack and I decided that since the Silver Energem has been located, our next target should be Sledge's old ship," he told them.

"That is more than likely where Heckyl and the others are hiding out," Ari nodded. "Let us know if you get even a hint of where they're hiding," she said, and James gave a thumbs up. Philip said a quick goodbye to Arianna, kissing her hand, before they headed out to continue the search.

"Looks like Spencer calling out Singe worked in our favour," Kendall commented. "He was chased off," she said as she picked up the reading of Singe escaping the Earth.

"Yeah, for now," Ari folded her arms as she glanced over at it. "I have a feeling he'll be back with help," the woman warned them. The others were quiet, worried.

* * *

"Look Koda," Tyler smiled as he, Koda and Teddie stood in the kitchen. Koda looked nervous as Teddie glanced at the two over her shoulder, cooking a few burgers. "This new faucet is going to make doing the dishes much quicker," he explained.

"It look like water snake," Koda said nervously, backing away.

"Koda, just give it a go," Tyler encouraged him. "I promise, it's not gonna hurt you," he told Koda, who shook his head. Teddie sighed, knowing the caveman was still wary of new things.

"It's okay Koda," she put a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently. "It won't hurt you, what is does is sprays water much faster so we can clear dishes easier," she explained. Koda looked at her, still worried, and scratched his head.

"I not sure..." he murmured.

"Come on, trust me," Tyler patted his arm, and Koda reluctantly stepped closer. "Just try it. It won't bite," he told him.

"Just be careful, the plumbing is still on the fritz," Teddie warned.

"Okay..." Koda gave in, and Tyler held it out to him. He jerked it suddenly, making Koda jump back in alarm. The Red Ranger burst out laughing.

"Tyler!" Koda snapped as Teddie slapped his arm.

"Don't be mean," she scolded.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, holding it out again, but was barely restraining his giggles. Teddie rolled her eyes, but couldn't completely hide her smile. Tyler's playful antics always made her smile. Still glaring suspiciously at Tyler as he backed away, Koda lifted the new power hose, and pressed a button. The water sprayed out, and Koda relaxed. "You see? It's easy! Just don't press that one button right-" Tyler's warning came too late, and the water exploded out, making the three shriek.

"I told you the plumbing is messed up!" Teddie yelped as the water soaked her through, and Koda swung wildly with a pan to try and stop it. "Turn it off!" she yelped.

"See? I told you! It water snake!" Koda yelled.

"What is going on in there?" Olivia frowned as she looked up, hearing their yells. "Oh, you've got to be kidding," she put a hand to her face as she saw Koda swinging wildly at the hose, stopping Teddie and Tyler from getting anywhere near it to stop it.

"Koda! Stop!" Teddie yelped, ducking under his swing.

"I've already had my shower today!" Tyler couldn't help but laugh.

"I destroy it!" Koda declared. However, the water suddenly stopped, and the three looked up, dripping wet.

"It stopped?" Tyler frowned.

"Water snake, extinct!" Koda shouted.

"I think it was her, dude," Teddie giggled, gesturing to the figure who was crouched behind them.

"I just turned off the water," the older woman smiled as she stood up.

"Oh, good grief!" Kendall groaned as she walked in with the others, who stared at the mess. "Let's get that plumber here, pronto," she sighed.

"You don't need a plumber!" the woman who had turned off the water dismissed it, and Kendall looked at her in surprise. "Rule number one, Doodlebug, 'Never spend a penny'..."

"'When you can fix it yourself'. How could forget your rules?" Kendall smiled, immediately calming down. "G-Ma Betty, what are you doing here?" she laughed, hugging her grandmother.

"Doodlebug?" Teddie murmured with a giggle.

"Oh, nothin', I'm just helping you keep your museum from falling to pieces," G-Ma chuckled. Kendall's smile fell a little as she raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, Koda, Tyler, Teddie, Chase, Ivan, Riley, Olivia, Shelby, this is my grandmother," Kendall introduced her, and the others all began to chatter, greeting the woman with surprise.

"Smart lady, all these handsome strong young men! And these ladies look like they have their heads screwed on," G-Ma commented, and Kendall sighed. "Oh, before I forget, I've got you something!" she rushed out, and Kendall followed.

"You look like a drowned rat," Chase told Teddie, who arched an eyebrow. He immediately paled and backed away from her. "Don't you dare," he warned, but Teddie launched at him, managing to catch her brother in a hug. "Teddie! Stop!" Chase yelled, struggling in her grasp as the cold water seeped into his clothes.

"Never!" Teddie cackled.

"Uh, come on," Tyler gestured to the others, and they headed out to see as well. Chase managed to break free of his sister's grasp, and glared at her as she smirked.

"Not cool," he told her.

"Don't call me a drowned rat," Teddie retorted, and they followed the others out.

"I was exploring Brindelin Canyon when I found this in an old cave," G-Ma said as she and Kendall unwrapped a large circular piece of glass. "It's clearly some kind of light reflector," she considered as Kendall studied it, her eyes lighting up.

"I see where Kendall gets it from," Shelby murmured, before Koda approached them, looking at it curiously.

"I thought maybe you'd like to display it or something," G-Ma shrugged.

"Thanks G-Ma, but the museum doesn't really need any new exhibits," Kendall told her. G-Ma shrugged.

"Fine, don't listen to me," she sighed. "I thought you might need something after what happened with the Treasures of Zandar," the Rangers all exchanged uneasy looks.

"Good thing the Prince left this morning," Teddie giggled.

"Oh, is this about when you impersonated him?" Ivan guessed, looking to Tyler and Shelby, who blushed as the others couldn't help but laugh. Kendall just shot them an irritated look.

"I'll be changing the light bulbs in the gift shop," G-Ma told Kendall, walking away with two bulbs. Kendall shook her head, well used to her grandmother's attitude.

"What is it, Koda?" Chase noticed Koda's behaviour over the reflector.

"I think I know this," he admitted in a quiet voice. Their eyes widened in surprise. "Take me to Brindelin Canyon, now, please," Koda looked up, his eyes full of worry. Kendall nodded, and the Rangers hurried out.

* * *

Driving up towards the mountains that separated Amber Beach from Summer Cove, the Rangers wondered what was going on with Koda, who was suddenly very anxious after seeing the strange reflector that Kendall's grandmother had found.

"Stop," he suddenly said to Tyler, who braked, and they leapt out as Teddie slowed her bike to a stop and the truck behind them did the same. She and Olivia dismounted, and watched as Koda looked around.

"We're in the area G-Ma pointed out," Kendall told them, looking at the map. "But I don't see the cave she found," she shook her head. Teddie tugged at her jacket, looking around curiously, and crouched to the ground.

"What's up Teddie?" Chase asked, wearing dry clothes as well.

"This place...feels super old," she commented, touching the grass. "It's weird," she shivered.

"This place, it familiar," they looked up at Koda as he spoke softly. He then walked off, not hesitating as he vanished into the bushes, and the others quickly followed him.

"Hey! Wait up!" Tyler called, but Koda didn't slow down as the familiarity of the place took over. He slowed, and Tyler's eyes widened as he emerged from the bushes. "Guys, check this out!" he called over his shoulder, and they all approached a large cave entrance.

"Whoa..." Olivia breathed. "Koda, how'd you know where to find this place?" she asked the Blue Ranger curiously.

"This...my home," Koda smiled, taking them all by surprise. "Follow me!" he ran inside, and they all followed, looking around the cave as they followed the tunnel. It opened up into a large room, lit up by the sun from a hole in the top.

"Amazing..." Teddie murmured.

"It's definitely Paleolithic all right," Kendall nodded as she approached some paintings on the walls.

"This is where your family lived?" Shelby asked Koda, who had taken a handful of the dirt. His smile was large as he stood, nodding eagerly.

"One hundred thousand years ago," Ivan looked around, his voice echoing through the cave.

"Yes, this where we sleep," Koda walked back to them and gestured to the worn rocks in a circle, with old sticks in the middle. "By fire," he explained as Kendall took photos of the cave.

"Koda, these petroglyphs are amazing," Kendall laughed as she turned to them.

"Of course!" Koda nodded proudly as he looked at them too. "We use berry juice and mammoth poop," Kendall's face scrunched up in disgust and she wiped her hand on her jacket as Teddie giggled, seeing her, and offered her a tissue.

"Hey, who's this cheerful fellow?" Chase asked, gesturing to one drawing on the wall.

"That my grandfather," Koda laughed. "He was great hero. He make up rules for our tribe," he explained.

"Your grandfather was the chief?" Teddie asked, standing on Koda's other side. Koda nodded proudly, but his smile was sad as he thought about his family. "You okay?" she asked in a softer tone, and he nodded quickly.

"Koda, if you need a minute mate-"

"It okay," Koda shook his head at Chase as the Black Ranger spoke. He smiled thankfully at his friends, tears in his eyes.

"What's down here?" Olivia asked curiously, seeing another tunnel that was sectioned off by stones.

"That forbidden part of cave," Koda explained as they turned around. "Grandfather say to never go in there," he remembered, and Teddie put her arm around him, which he gladly accepted, leaning against the White Ranger.

"So that part is forbidden, huh?" Riley asked, a curious glint in his eyes as he stood beside Olivia and Ivan, peering in. "Koda, what's back there?" he questioned.

"Grandfather say, it very dangerous," Koda walked over to the entrance, looking worried. "He say never cross these rocks," he dragged his sandals through the sand to emphasize this.

"I'm sure if there's danger, we can handle it," Ivan said with a confident smile. Koda hesitated, but looked as if he were considering this.

"It'll be fine, Koda," Shelby spoke up, just as excited to see what was hidden.

"I never break Grandfather's rules before, but..." Koda held his foot over the stones, hesitating. He then put his foot down and flinched, waiting for something to happen. When it didn't, he relaxed.

"Nothing's happening," Shelby smiled as Koda bounced from side to side.

"See? Rocks not important," he scoffed. "Silly rule," Koda giggled, walking through the tunnel. "Oh...very dark," he commented.

"No worries mate, Chase has this," Teddie giggled, pushing her brother forwards. He sighed, and began to glow, illuminating the cave.

"Oh, finally, Chase is useful," Shelby smirked, earning a glare as Chase led the way down the tunnel.

"As a night-light," Tyler giggled.

"I will hurt you two," Chase threatened idly. They reached another open cavern, and looked around the much more worn room.

"What a cool cave," Riley commented as Chase's light flooded the room.

"So, do you see anything?" Shelby asked.

"There's nothing here, Koda," Riley said, but Koda looked nervous. He knew there was a reason why the room was forbidden.

"Something's here," Teddie commented, standing beside Koda. Chase shivered, uncomfortable as well, but unable to tell if it was his innate dislike of being so deep in the cave, or from some other problem.

"Is that a bone blocking a door?" Riley frowned. He walked over with Ivan, and the two moved the bone.

"No, guys, stop!" Teddie warned, but it was too late. Green light shone through the cracks in the door, and it exploded, forcing them all to the ground as rocks showered them and for a moment they were plunged into darkness as Chase's light faded. He lit up again, and they saw what seemed like a smoke being fly out of the cave.

"What was that?" Olivia gasped as they got back to their feet.

"Come on!" Tyler called, and they rushed back out of the cave, following the smoke out into the open. When they reached the clearing by their vehicles, the smoke became solid, forming a being that seemed like two pine trees and surfboards formed together, with a cone for one hand.

"I'm finally free!" Leisure laughed as she stretched.

"That is monster from Grandfather's stories," Koda realised. "I not remember much, but very bad," he warned. Leisure laughed, before her glowing red eyes focused on Koda.

"Hey! You look just like that clueless old caveman who locked me up 100,000 years ago!" she yelled furiously at him. "Time for some payback!" she declared, rushing at them. The Rangers tried to fight her off, only to be tossed around. "After all these centuries, it sure feels good to beat up humans again!" she cackled.

"Try this!" Teddie performed several hand gestures, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, making her look around. Teddie burst out of the ground behind her, kicking her in the back. Leisure yelped, stumbling forwards, before turning and hitting Teddie across the face with her cone weapon.

"Koda, what do you remember about this monster?" Kendall asked as she and Koda stood together. The caveman frowned as he tried to remember.

"My memory fuzzy...but-"

"Later, losers!" Leisure turned to smoke and shot into the air, making Koda's eyes widen.

"I remember now! Everyone, get into cave! Run!" he yelled, and they took off, not waiting to ask why. However, the light slammed down before most could get into cover, with only Koda and Kendall reaching the dark of the cave before bright light hit them.

"Whoa...what?" Chase shook his head, and looked up as the others started to laugh. Teddie blinked at them, struggling to focus.

"Feel that sunshine!" Tyler laughed.

"This is so nice!" Olivia sighed as they all fell onto the grass, enjoying the weather.

"Guys, what are you doing? Get in here!" Kendall shouted.

"Um..." Chase stumbled over, a hand to his head, followed by Teddie, but the others didn't listen to her.

"Chillax, boss lady!" Shelby giggled. "I'm officially on _vacation_!" she called, and the others cheered loudly.

"What's happening to them?" Chase asked as his head cleared up. Koda stopped Kendall from walking out into sunlight.

"I remember grandfather's story now," he told her, looking worried. "If we go into sunlight, we will be like them," he warned, and Chase and Kendall looked out, worried, as the rest of the team laughed, relaxing in the sun. "Monster's sunshine make everyone stop working. No-one hunt, our people starve," Koda told them.

"What did your grandfather do to stop it?" Kendall asked.

"I not know why," Koda admitted, scratching his head. "But lens G-Ma found in cave, very important," he explained.

"We need to get back to the lab," Kendall groaned.

"I'll get us there," Chase took their arms, and spoke in another language. The four disappeared in gold and black sparks, leaving the rest of their team to their vacation.

* * *

"I got lens," Koda announced as he set the massive reflector down on the table in the base.

"Thanks," Kendall called over her shoulder as she scanned Chase. "It doesn't seem like you're affected," she commented, frowning. "But I don't know why, you were hit like the rest," she said.

"I'd have figured sun magic, but Teddie didn't get affected either," Chase glanced to his sister, who looked just as puzzled. "Koda, any ideas?" he asked the caveman, who looked a little surprised that they would be asking him. Normally it would be Shelby or Kendall the group would turn to if they had questions.

"I...not sure," he admitted, looking down at the lens. His brow furrowed. "I remember, Grandfather say that all humans are...affected," Koda commented. The twins exchanged looks.

"Wait, so monsters won't be?" Kendall realised. Koda paused, before nodding. She then frowned. "But you two-"

"We're not entirely human," Chase shrugged, making both Koda and Kendall stare at them. "Our dad's human, but mum, she's mostly of a race similar to humans from the Magical Dimension," he explained.

"Of course you are," Kendall said dryly.

"Our human side is probably why it got real hard to focus out there," Teddie considered, scratching her head, thinking about it. She'd had a strong desire to just relax and have fun, but a more logical side had won out and she'd taken shelter, which had allowed them to take back control completely.

The computer beeped, and they looked up as Kendall opened the communication.

" _Kendall, you guys okay_?" Spencer asked as he popped up on screen.

"Um...mostly," Kendall sighed.

" _Okay, good_ ," Spencer sighed. " _We're having a little trouble. All the humans have just_..."

"Gone on vacation?" Kendall finished for him, and he nodded. "That's our fault. But we're going to fix it," she said determinedly, and Spencer smiled.

" _I hope so_ ," Spencer cleared his throat and looked away as he was pushed slightly aside to reveal the shorter blonde. " _We're down to just me and Spence here. The rest of the team were outside...and so was Sky,_ " Syd sighed.

"Yeah...we just got to cover in time," Kendall nodded. Spencer glanced to Teddie and Chase.

" _And you guys_?" he asked.

"We uh...didn't quite make it in," Teddie shrugged.

" _Just like you Spencer. What's with that?_ " Syd asked him curiously.

"It only affect humans," Koda explained. Chase and Teddie nodded, and Spencer gave a small laugh.

" _We'll need to get all the non-humans out there then. I have a feeling that once it gets out that the majority of our team, including the Commander, are on vacation, we're-_ " Syd stopped as the alarm blared.

" _You had to say it Syd_ ," Spencer chuckled.

"Don't worry, we'll sort this," Kendall told him, and Spencer smiled at her.

" _I know. Good luck_ ," he saluted, ending the communication. Kendall sighed heavily.

"We need to help the others," Teddie pointed out, and the Purple Ranger nodded.

"They're sitting ducks for anyone who wants to steal their Energems," she pointed out. "If your grandfather used this lens to stop the monster, then we've got to figure out how it works," Kendall said to Koda, before turning to her computer, where she'd uploaded the photos of the cave. "These symbols on the cave wall could be the key, and...you're the only one who knows how to read them," Koda looked over her shoulder, uncertain.

"Then we'll do what we can to keep an eye on the others and make sure no-one takes their Energems," Chase suggested, standing again.

"Will you be alright?" Kendall frowned, concerned for the pair as Teddie stood with her brother.

"I'll go too," Arianna volunteered as the two nodded. They looked to her, and she frowned. "I can help. I won't be affected by the sun, and you'll need help," she told them firmly.

"She's right," Kendall agreed reluctantly.

"Alright, but the moment things get to the point where we need to Morph, you come back here," Chase told Arianna firmly. She pouted, but he shook his head. "No way. We don't want you hurt," he refused to budge.

"Yeah, Tyzonn and Philip would kill us," Teddie grinned, and Arianna rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she grumbled, and the three hurried out.

* * *

"Uh, do you think we should do something?" Arianna asked, looking up into the tree branches as the Rangers cycled by, cheering loudly.

"Nah," Teddie shook her head. She stood on a high branch, leaning against the trunk with her arms folded as Chase sat beside her, chuckling a little.

"Doesn't look like they need help right now. They've got so much energy, those two can't keep up," he laughed. Arianna smiled, agreeing with them as Poisandra and Curio struggled to keep up with the Rangers, unable to get near their Energems.

"If Heckyl thought this would work, he's a lot dumber than I thought," Teddie considered with a smirk.

"Somehow, I don't think there was a plan involved here," Chase grinned. They watched as their vacation-focused friends abandoned the bikes to play in the grass, kicking a ball around and laughing loudly.

"Oh, I think the plan just arrived," Arianna warned, straightening up as Fury approached the playing Rangers with a monster.

"Is that Leisure?" Teddie frowned.

"I have no idea," Chase was just as clueless.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" Fury roared at Poisandra and Curio as they ran over too.

"Is this what you want, thou lumbering beast?" Ivan held up his Gold Energem with a laugh. Fury roared as Ivan mocked him, and lunged at him, but the Gold Ranger dodged, mocking him.

"Okay, now we step in," Chase called, and the two leapt from the tree. They and Arianna ran over, and Fury let out a yell as Arianna's Mercurian powers slammed into him, tossing him away from the other Rangers.

"No! How are you not affected?!" Poisandra gasped as Teddie and Chase fixed their hats and sunglasses. While they could fight through the brainwashing, it lost them a lot of focus which they needed to fight.

"You're not getting their Energems," Teddie warned, moving into a fighting stance. The other Rangers laughed and ran off, leaving the three to fight Fury, Poisandra, Curio, and Loafer.

"Let's go guys!" Chase called, and the three rushed their opponents. He ducked under Fury's swing with a small smile, and when Fury snarled, moving to cut the Black Ranger down, Chase vanished in a puff of smoke, appearing behind him and slamming his open palm to Fury's back between his shoulder blades. The cat snarled, stumbling forwards as it sang with pain, and he spun around to keep fighting the Black Ranger.

"Try and catch me!" Teddie giggled, dodging both Curio and Poisandra as they attacked her. She moved her hand, which glowed a faint green, and Curio yelped, falling on his face as vines wrapped around his large feet and stopped him from moving. "Oh, did ya bring me something back from your trip?" Teddie teased. She then put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a small sachet. Smirking, she tossed them at Poisandra, who shrieked in surprise.

"What are you doing, you brat?!" she snapped, before letting out a cry as Teddie held out her hand and the seeds began to sprout ivy that covered Poisandra and restrained her.

"My dad taught me that one," Teddie laughed as the pink alien struggled against the strong ivy, which began to bloom pretty white flowers all over. "It's a much better look for you," she told her as Poisandra let out a shriek of rage.

Nearby, Arianna blocked Loafer's strike with a shield of mercury, before getting in close and grabbing the cone shaped hand with both of hers. She moved beside him, turning his strength against him, and flipped him to the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" Loafer yelled, getting back up and kicking Arianna back. She stumbled, barely stayed on her feet, and kept fighting against him, but the monster was far stronger than her.

"Fury's Roar!" Fury threw out his sword, and Chase raised a shield, glowing to enhance the power to protect himself from the powerful lightning attack. However, it cracked his shield, and Chase was thrown to the ground with a cry. His hat slid away from him, and Chase put a hand to his head as it became hard to focus again.

"Chase!" Teddie ran over to help him up, and Loafer tossed Arianna to the ground before blasting Teddie off her feet. The three groaned, pushing themselves up slowly as their opponents regrouped, with Fury easily cutting through the ivy that restrained Poisandra.

"Guys!" they looked up as Koda ran over, wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a poncho.

"Koda! You guys figure out how to fix this?" Chase asked as Koda helped him up, grabbing his hat and giving it back to the Black Ranger. Immediately Chase's mind cleared, and he sighed in relief.

"Yes. Kendall and G-Ma very smart," Koda smiled at him.

"No doubt about it," Chase nodded.

"Aren't you going to introduce me, Fury?" the monster resembling Leisure asked as Koda frowned at him.

"This is Loafer. I believe you've met his twin sister, Leisure," Fury told them.

"Twins? Ick," Teddie muttered.

"Hey," Chase arched an eyebrow at her.

"What? We're the only ones who _can_ say it," Teddie grinned at him. "'Anna, better get back to base. We'll handle this," she told the Mercurian, who nodded and ran off. Teddie and Chase stood with Koda, who looked ridiculous in his sun hat and poncho.

"It Morphin' Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!" the three held up the Chargers, activating them.

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!"

"I started all this trouble, now I finish it!" Koda shouted. The three ran at them, only for Loafer to reflect their Morpher blasts and hit them. "He as strong as his sister," Koda complained.

"And I'm even stronger!" the three rolled out of the way of Fury's sword.

"Dino Steel! Armour On!" the three called on their weapons, fighting the powerful cat.

"Oh! I forgot my beach ball!" Loafer laughed, tossing it at the three. It exploded on contact, tossing them to the ground again.

"They're so strong...we need the others," Teddie called out as she got back to her feet, her body aching from the attacks.

"Koda! Teddie, Chase!" they looked around in surprise to see the others run over.

"Friends!" Koda smiled brightly as the others waved at them.

"Guys, guys! You know what's better than vacation?" Tyler asked, bouncing in excitement.

"What?" the others turned to him eagerly.

"Dino Super Charged vacation!" Tyler yelled, and they all started to cheer. They Morphed, still bouncing along, and for a moment, it seemed like they were rejoining Koda, Teddie and Chase. However, they ran straight past the three, running over to where Loafer now had grass skirts and garlands.

"You've got to be kidding," Chase put a hand to his helmet as they all watched the group try to hula dance.

"Tyler really is a terrible dancer," Teddie commented. "And so's Riley," she giggled as she watched them trying to dance.

"Not the time, Ted," Chase patted her head, making her turn her attention back to the battle at hand.

"Oh, yeah," she nodded.

"While your friends sway, we're gonna play!" Loafer leapt down from the platform, and ran at the three again.

"I done playing nice!" Koda yelled, slamming his shield into Loafer's side.

"Para Chopper Blast!" Chase shot the monster, and Teddie rushed behind him, swinging her swords.

"Grandfather saved family from your kind, monster, and now I save my friends!" Koda declared as he grabbed Loafer, hauling the monster to his feet. "Stego Shield Punch!" he hit Loafer hard, making the alien yell in pain.

"On your feet Loafer!" Fury intercepted Koda as the caveman went to finish him off.

"I'm trying!" Loafer wailed as Teddie stopped Fury's attack and kicked him away.

"I'll just finish them myself!" Fury grew impatient with him and slashed Teddie, making her cry out and fall over.

"Ted!" Chase called out, firing another shot, but Fury blocked it with his sword. He kicked Chase back as the Black Ranger ran in to help the two, but as he hit the ground, the sunlight suddenly returned to normal, and Tyler fell over as the others stopped dancing and looked at their attire.

"You're finished!" Fury yelled as they pushed themselves up.

"Guys!" they heard Shelby call out, and saw the rest of their friends running over, tossing their grass skirts and leis away.

"You're back to normal?" Chase grinned.

"Yep!" Olivia nodded with a smile, tossing him her lei.

"All eight Rangers? No way!" Fury snarled. In a blast of lightning, he vanished.

"What happened to us?" Shelby asked.

"And what's with the grass skirts?" Riley asked.

"Oh, dude, I wish I'd gotten a video of it," Teddie told him with a laugh, making the Green Ranger frown.

"It is kind of long story," Koda laughed.

"Hey, bluebird!" Loafer snapped, making them look around. "You and your friends are gonna pay for destroying my sister!" he vowed.

"Come on!" Poisandra and Curio ran over to try and pull him away, but he shoved them off him. Determined to avenge his sister, he stormed towards the Rangers. The two cowardly aliens grabbed him again, however, and pulled him away.

"She will be avenged!" Loafer yelled, and the Rangers gave chase.

"I think we lost them!" Curio gulped as they hid in a car park.

"You not lose us," Curio shrieked as Koda walked into view. "But you will lose fight!" he told them as the others stood beside him.

"Vivix! Put an end to their vacation!" Poisandra called on the monsters, who appeared and ran at the Rangers. Working together, the Rangers easily took them out.

"Oli!" Teddie called to her friend, who landed on her shoulders. Teddie spun with a laugh, and Olivia fired multiple shots that destroyed the Vivix around them, before she leapt down and the two stood back to back, taking more out. Poisandra and Curio ran off with shrieks, and Koda lifted Loafer into the air and slammed him to the ground.

"Get off me, you blue menace!" Loafer thrashed wildly in Koda's grip.

"Activate!" Tyler called on his Battilizer. "T-Rex Super Charge, ready! Ankylo-Pachy, activate!" he called on the Aqua and Graphite moves. Loafer finally managed to shove Koda off, and barely dodged the mace coming at him.

"You can't keep a bad monster down!" he laughed.

"Time for caveman strength!" Koda caught the chain as it flew by him. "What go around-" the mace smashed through a pillar as it curved around, and Loafer whirled around in shock. "Come around!" he screeched as the ball slammed into him.

"T-Rex Super Charge Blast, final strike!" before Loafer could do anything, Tyler fired the powerful finisher, making the monster scream as it destroyed him too. "Say it Koda!" Tyler laughed, and Koda slumped to the ground.

"Monster extinct," he declared, exhausted.

* * *

"I should have listened to you, grandfather," Koda spoke, sitting on the ground and looking up at the painting of his grandfather. "I thought you make rules for no reason...but you do it to keep us all safe," he smiled sadly. "Even after you gone, you still my hero," he told his grandfather, putting a hand to the painting.

"I'm sure he's proud of you, Koda," Teddie put a hand on his shoulder with a smile. "After all, you helped to destroy both Leisure and Loafer. Now they can never threaten anyone again," Koda's smile grew wider at her words. "You're a hero too. Your family would all be proud of you," Teddie told him with certainty, and Koda pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," he sniffed, and Teddie put her arms around him, letting him stay there for as long as he needed, not saying a word about the damp spot starting on her shoulder.

* * *

Jeremy let out a cry as his head jerked to the side. Singe chuckled, standing over him as Jeremy tried to fight the tears of exhaustion and pain that racked his body.

"You have real spirit boy, I give you that," Singe allowed, stepping back from the young man.

Jeremy wasn't sure how long he'd been on board the large ship, where he'd been dragged to a cell and chained up. His ankles to the floor, and wrists to the ceiling, stopped him from fighting back against Singe, who had beaten him mercilessly.

"What do you want from me?" Jeremy asked weakly, the tears spilling down his face.

"For you to join us," he looked up as Singe moved to the side, bowing to the figure who walked in. His eyes were glowing golden in the poor light of the cell, and he wore a spiked crown and a black robe, carrying an odd book with him.

"Sorry dude...ain't gonna happen," Jeremy told him, spitting out blood. "I'm not evil. And I'm definitely not joining your weirdo army," he said, trying to sound stronger than he felt. He just wished he had that strange gem again, to give him some sort of power against the monsters that had been torturing him for days.

"You're right, Singe. He does have spirit," the newcomer nodded, sounding impressed. "I do hope you keep it afterwards," he told Jeremy, who frowned. He flipped open the book, and a strange light started to shine, illuminating the room. Immediately a dark feeling settled in Jeremy's stomach, filling him with fear, and he started to struggle again. "Oh, and you can sense the power in this...you _are_ going to be a good servant," he laughed.

"Who...who are you?" Jeremy whispered, staring up at him.

"Your new Master, Lord Arcanon," the glowing eyes and smirk filled Jeremy's vision, and the strange light started to glow even brighter, before darkness took over the Silver Ranger.

* * *

 **Work's gonna be pretty hectic tomorrow so will be less likely that I'll be updating right away. And I do need to start packing to move back to Belfast as well on Thursday.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	13. Split Personality

**I've reached the part of this story that I've been looking forward to, so it's flying along. So, another update!**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Split Personality

Clearing up the café at the end of another busy day, the Rangers weren't overly talkative as they cleaned. Even Arianna was struggling to keep up her positive spirits as she cleaned down a booth.

Everyone was thinking about the Silver Ranger, the final member of their team who had bonded to the Silver Energem. All they knew about him was that he'd stepped in to protect James and Philip when Singe had beaten them, and disappeared during the fight with the candle-like monster. And they hadn't found any trace of him since.

"Wow, this place is bumping," Teddie and Chase looked up in surprise at the dry tone, and broke into wide smiles. A girl around their age with short black hair, wearing a green sun dress and black boots, stood in the entrance with an amused smile.

"Miko!" Teddie laughed, running over and hugging the girl. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh, you know, I got hungry," Miko grinned.

"You're so not funny," Chase rolled his eyes good naturedly as he walked over.

"It's good to see you too Chase," Miko giggled, hugging him. "Gonna introduce me to your friends?" she asked, seeing the others watching curiously.

"Oh! This is Miko Watanabe, guys!" Teddie smiled. "Her dad's one of mum's best friends-"

"He denies it profusely though," Miko winked.

"Miko, this is Tyler, Arianna, Riley and Shelby," Teddie introduced the others in the café. "The others are around somewhere," she shrugged as Miko waved.

"Nice to meet you," Tyler smiled at her. Miko watched him for a moment, before grinning.

"Red," she said, pointing to him. He paused, eyes going wide. "Pink," she then pointed to Shelby, who stared at her in alarm as Chase put a hand to his face. "Oh! Green, I like," Miko gave Riley a thumbs up as he blinked rapidly at her. "And you...huh. I thought the grey one was a dude," Miko frowned at Arianna, who looked puzzled.

"Uh..."

"Miko, seriously, does anyone _not_ know?" Teddie asked with a groan.

"I think your cousin Timmy doesn't," Miko shrugged.

"What is she talking about?" Arianna asked nervously. Chase sighed.

" _Miko_ ," he started, shooting the girl a look as she laughed. "Her dad was the Green Ninja Storm Ranger, Cam Watanabe," he explained in irritation.

"Wait, _Cam Watanabe_? You mean the guy who helped design some technology they still use at SPD?" Riley gaped. Miko winked at him as he stared at her. She didn't look like the child of two computer geniuses.

"Don't underestimate her. Miko got brains from both her parents," Teddie warned him.

"I say, what's going on here?" Ivan asked as he walked in. "I thought the café closed-"

"Dude, your sword!" Miko gasped, rushing over to him and hovering around him. Ivan looked at her, startled. "Is it real?" her eyes shone with excitement.

"I...uh..." Ivan wasn't quite sure what to say to the much shorter girl who was flitting around, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Ivan, Miko. Miko, Ivan," Teddie couldn't help but laugh. "Miko is a Samurai, and if there's one thing that excites her more than computers, it's a good sword," she explained.

"A Samurai?" Riley repeated as Ivan drew his sword and offered it to Miko, happy to show it off.

"It's so well made," Miko commented as she studied the sword in her hands. "Amazing balance..." she stepped away, and started to demonstrate moves that had clearly taken a lot of practice to master. "And that swing, beautiful. You have an amazing weapon there," she complimented Ivan, who smiled back, taking it from her when she offered it.

"And you have an amazing eye, Lady Miko," he told her, making her giggle.

"Riley and Ivan are both practised swordsmen," Teddie told Miko, who glanced to Riley in surprise.

"You gotta show me some moves then," she told him, looking excited.

"Perhaps _after_ the café has been cleaned?" Ivan arched an eyebrow at the group.

"Who died and put you in charge?" Tyler grinned as they got back to work.

"I think Ms. Morgan will kill us if we don't get this done," Shelby called over to him, making them laugh.

"Guys, forget the café," they looked around in surprise as Ari appeared in the doorway. "You need to get to-oh, Miko," she saw the young Samurai, who smiled and waved at her. "Well, no time. Down to base guys, now," she told the group, who exchanged curious looks.

* * *

"Whoa, and I thought Ninja Ops was awesome," Miko commented as she looked around with wide eyes. "This place is so cool," she gushed.

"Giving tours again?" Kendall asked in an irritated voice, not looking up from the computer.

"Didn't have much choice considering the problem at hand," Ari gave a light shrug as she walked over to the Purple Ranger.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked curiously, following her over.

"We've picked up a reading of a ship heading to Earth, heading right for Amber Beach," Kendall told them. "Singe's ship," their eyes widened.

"So much for chasing him off," Teddie frowned.

"This bad," Koda commented nervously. They all knew how powerful Singe was.

"If he's coming back, I have a feeling he won't be alone," Ari warned as they watched the ship heading to Earth.

"I've called Philip and James back, they should be here shortly," Kendall added in.

"So who is Singe's boss exactly?" Riley asked, his arms folded.

"Lord Arcanon," Kendall brought up an image of a large alien, and even the sight of him sent shivers down their spines. "He's dangerous, incredibly so. One of the most wanted in the Universe on SPD's list, he's destroyed countless planets and galaxies," she warned as they stared at him.

"We're in trouble now..." Shelby murmured, all of them exchanging nervous looks.

* * *

"Sorry we're late!" James called as he and Philip arrived in the base an hour later.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice," Kendall nodded to the pair as the others greeted them.

"Uh, did we get a new Ranger and no-one told us?" James asked, looking to Miko as she and Riley practised sword fighting.

"I'm just an observer. Hi," she waved at the pair.

"Philip, James, this is Miko, daughter of a friend of mine," Ari called over to them. "Miko, meet Philip and James, the Graphite and Aqua Rangers," Miko then looked to Arianna.

" _Ohhh_ ," she nodded, and Arianna frowned. "I was wondering why you were wearing that," she pointed to Arianna's grey hoodie.

"What? I like this colour, reminds me of home," Arianna defended, but her face grew warm as the others tried and failed to hide their laughter.

"So what seems to be the problem?" Philip asked as he pulled off his own jacket.

"Singe is back, probably with friends," the two Rangers frowned, remembering their last encounter with him. "And-" Kendall was cut off as the alarms started blaring, louder than ever.

"What's going on?" Olivia cried out, her hands over her ears as they all flinched at the sound.

"Something massive was picked up on the systems," Kendall deactivated the alarms as her computers continued to beep loudly. "A massive amount of dark energy...I've never seen anything like it, it's too much for my systems to even register!" she gasped.

"No!" they looked around as Keeper gasped. "It cannot be...not now..." he breathed. "The Dark Energem..." they all frowned at him.

"The what now?" Chase asked, confused.

"There's _another_ Energem?" Teddie questioned the Guardian, who stared at his staff. He nodded, and raised his staff, which began to glow.

"Long ago, when your good Energems were created, the evil residue left behind became the Dark Energem," lights matching their Energems flowed from the staff and hovered in a circle, before taking on the image of their Energems. In the middle, another was shown, with a mix of different colours. "It is the one thing that can cripple the power of the 12 Energems, with the same power as all of them combined," Keeper explained. "It was hidden deep within a planet called Sentai-6, however, centuries later, a mysterious warlord discovered its location. He destroyed the entire planet, then disappeared with the Dark Energem," he explained.

"You mean to say that this one Energem has the power of all of ours combined?" Shelby demanded, looking terrified at the thought.

"Dark energy..." Teddie shivered.

"What's to bet that mysterious warlord was Lord Arcanon?" Tyler frowned, looking to his team.

"Good heavens...and it's heading right for us," Philip realised, looking at the footage of the ship that was steadily approaching the planet.

"We need to find the Silver Ranger," Keeper warned them. "You will be unable to defeat Lord Arcanon without their help," he shook his head.

"But how?" Olivia groaned, and Nerida whined, sensing their unease, and pressed closer to her owner's legs. "We have no idea who they are or where they went," she reminded him, petting the tan dog.

"Then we'll just have to find them," Ari pulled off her hoody and stretched. "You'll need to be ready to fight whatever is coming at us from that ship," she said, and they nodded.

"She's right. We're not giving up without a fight," Tyler told his team, who nodded determinedly. Philip, however, didn't seem to hear his words, looking at Ari.

"You okay mate?" Chase noticed his distraction, and Philip frowned.

"I-" he let out a soft groan as his head throbbed, and he put a hand to it.

" _Dude, step back," Jeremy warned, falling into a fighting stance in front of the two Rangers._

" _No...don't..." Philip tried to say, before pain and darkness swallowed him up._

Philip's eyes widened, and he walked over to Ari, who looked up in surprise.

"You alright?" she asked him.

"Your tattoo," Ari looked down at her arm, where her Master's Mark was on show.

"What about it?" she asked, frowning.

"It's...unusual. What is it?" he asked her. Ari tilted her head, not sure where he was going with this.

"It's a Master's Mark," they looked around at Teddie as she spoke up. "All the Pai Zhuq Masters get them when they pass their test," she explained.

"I've seen it before," Ari's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Philip again. He still had a hand to his head. "The Silver Ranger...I saw him before he Morphed...I didn't see his face, there was something around him that made it hard to see...but...he had that tattoo," Ari was silent, staring up at the tall Prince with wide green eyes. For a moment, Philip hesitated, worrying that he'd said the wrong thing. Then, she laughed.

"Your highness, you are a genius," she laughed, making him frown.

"I am?" he asked, and Ari continued to laugh.

"There's not too many Masters about, mate," Chase grinned. "You've just narrowed down our pool of potential Silver Rangers, to a group that we know well," he chuckled.

"No way," Shelby gaped. Ari moved to the console in the middle of the room, typing at the computer, and brought up an image that had several faces on it.

"Okay, so they were clearly in this world, so take out Masters Rilla, Lope, Guin, Rel and Mao out of the picture," Ari spoke aloud as she took out the pictures of the Spirit Masters, leaving several others.

"These are all the living Masters?" the others approached curiously, recognising Minos on the list, and Ari herself. The pictures were older, and for a moment they thought Ari might have been Teddie, before seeing the green eyes.

"Yup. My former Jungle Fury team, and our own teachers," Ari nodded. "Okay, and the Silver Ranger is a guy, so take out Jenna, Lily, and me obviously," she chuckled, removing their images. "That leaves us with Masters Finn, Swoop and Phant, then Minos, RJ, Theo, Casey and Jarrod," she gestured to the remaining Masters on the list, and Philip felt uncomfortable, aware he was the only one who could match them up.

"It wasn't these three," Philip said with certainty, and Ari removed the images of their old teachers.

"This is like a really intense game of Guess Who," Teddie giggled.

"I can't believe Ari's tattoo is all we needed to narrow down the list," Shelby huffed.

"I was not even aware you had a tattoo," Ivan admitted. Ari shrugged.

"I don't normally show it off," she told him, looking down at it and smiling softly as she remembered getting it.

"Not him," Philip removed Theo from the list. "I recall meeting Minos, it wasn't him either," he dismissed, before his eyes settled on RJ.

"You think it's him?" Ari asked, her voice softer.

"I'm not sure," Philip admitted. "It's still mostly a blur," he said, and Ari worked on the computer again, this time bringing up footage of the Jungle Fury Rangers fighting. Philip's pale eyes lit up. "Yes, that stance," he pointed to RJ, recognising the fighting stance of the wolf technique.

"Dammit RJ," Ari muttered, her hand lingering on her stomach. "If you're in trouble again and you haven't told me, I will let Xander rip you apart this time," she grumbled, grabbing her phone.

"What are you doing?" Teddie asked her.

"Calling my fool of a teacher," Ari called over her shoulder as she put her phone to her ear. It rang, and she paced impatiently.

" _Ari_!" RJ answered cheerfully, making her frown. " _What gives me the pleasure of this call? Congratulating me, perhaps_?" he asked with a quiet laugh.

"Con...gratulating?" Ari repeated, confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked him slowly.

" _Jeremy, right_?" RJ spoke proudly, and Ari stiffened. " _He was heading to Amber Beach a week ago, to show off his Master's Mark_ ," he announced.

"Jeremy passed his Master's test?" she asked, and both Teddie and Chase straightened up, looking as tense as Ari did.

" _What? You didn't know? I'd have thought he'd be with you already_ ," RJ became serious, a little confused. Ari walked back over to the computer, and brought up an image of Jeremy, and Philip's eyes widened, recognising him through the haze.

"Dammit. RJ, get here now," Ari cursed, putting a hand to her face.

" _Ari, what's going on_?" he asked, confused.

"I think Jeremy's our new Silver Ranger, and he's in a lot of trouble."

* * *

People looked up in surprise as a loud explosion echoed through the city, and the ground shook violently.

"Oh, now this is more like it!" a voice cackled as the sphere ship opened up, and a blur leapt out, landing by a group of curious people.

"I thought space ships had to land in New Tech," one woman whispered to her friend, and the figure straightened up, looking around. With dark purple fur lining his face and snout, as well as furry ears that stuck out the sides of his head, at first glance, Kerberos didn't seem very threatening. He wore a pair of black trousers and a tunic, showing off his arms that were covered in fur, and ended with sharp looking clawed hands. His feet, were clawed as well, were shown without shoes. He had a mop of black hair, and pale purple eyes that glimmered with malice as he smirked, showing off sharp teeth. Immediately people began to back away nervously.

"That's right, run away! Before I use you as my new chew toys!" he growled, and the people immediately took off. He laughed, his tail wagging a little.

"Kerberos, do we need to put a leash on you?" Kerberos sighed, looking around at Singe as he approached with Arcanon. The wolf-like monster put a hand to his chest and bowed respectfully to his master.

"No, my apologies," he said.

"No need to apologise, Kerberos," Arcanon spoke in his gravelly voice. "And look, it seems as if you may be getting your chance to unleash some of that energy already," he smirked, and Kerberos looked around as Heckyl approached with Wrench and Fury.

" _That's_ Heckyl? I'm underwhelmed," Kerberos laughed, unimpressed.

"How _dare_ you return to my planet, Singe," Heckyl growled at the red monster. However, Singe didn't speak. Instead, Arcanon took a step forwards, and both Singe and Kerberos bowed respectfully.

"He came on _my_ command," Arcanon told him. Heckyl arched an eyebrow.

"L-Lord Arcanon," Wrench gulped.

"So, you're the one who hired Sledge to collect criminals," Heckyl spoke softly, having been told about him by Fury when they'd found that Singe was really working for him.

"He's the only one Sledge was ever afraid of," Wrench warned Heckyl, who scowled at him, finding him familiar.

"Sledge's monsters, and his ship, are mine," Arcanon declared, flicking his cape out behind him. "I have come to pay the bounties and collect my prisoners. Including _you_ , Heckyl," he announced with a low laugh. "You and Snide belong to me!" he laughed. Heckyl didn't answer him, and Kerberos started to laugh.

"Oh, I can hear it!" he laughed, gesturing to his ears. "And smell it too! You're _afraid,_ aren't you?" the wolf monster laughed loudly, and Heckyl's gaze darkened before he threw out a hand. Thunder boomed as his blue energy shot at Arcanon, who easily cut through it with his own power, which glowed orange and white and slammed into Heckyl. He was tossed through the air, landing on a pile of rubble, and rolled along the ground as he vanished out sight..

"Kerberos?" Arcanon angled his head to the wolf, whose tail immediately started to wag. "Have fun," he gestured. Kerberos started to cheer, and Singe sighed.

"Now _this_ is gonna be _fun_!" Kerberos howled, and rushed in the direction that Heckyl had gone. Fury went to intercept, only for Kerbero's knee to slam into his stomach before he could even raise his sword. "Don't make me play cats and dogs with you, Fury," he laughed as Fury doubled over, dropping his weapon as Wrench let out a wail of fear. Kerberos then ran past him, just as there was a pulse of energy.

"My turn!" Snide ran into view, his sword drawn. Kerberos laughed, excited, and Singe rolled his eyes.

"He's giving me a headache worse than those so-called heroes," he complained.

"Enough, Singe. Let's see if he can do what you could not," Singe immediately fell quiet, not wanting to risk his master's wrath.

* * *

The alarm blared in the base again, and the group all gathered around to see Snide fighting the strange wolf monster.

"Huh. I don't know if I was expecting that," Olivia commented.

"Dissension and fighting amongst themselves is a common trait the bad guys have," Ari shrugged, watching the fight herself. "But either way, this fighting is going to get out of hand soon, you guys should get out there and make sure nobody gets hurt," she looked to the team.

"But..." Teddie hesitated.

"We'll find Jeremy," Ari told her confidently, and RJ nodded, but his own worry was clearly written across his face. "Go, you're needed out there," she encouraged Teddie.

"Let's go guys," Tyler told his team, and they hurried out.

"I don't get it at all Ari," RJ turned to her once the team had left. "Why would he just run off like that? It's not like him," he told her, and Ari nodded.

"I know," she agreed. "I don't know what happened. He chased after Singe, then just vanished, and then his Ranger signature disappeared too," she told him, looking at the computer as it continued to search for the Silver Ranger signature. Ari then sighed. "I'm sorry RJ. I never meant-"

"Ari," RJ stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't blame you for this. It's not your fault. You didn't even know Jeremy had the Silver Energem until now," he pointed out. Ari just looked at the ground. "We'll find him," he offered her a small smile, and Ari nodded.

"You're right. Arianna, Miko, can you keep an eye on the computers?" she asked, turning to the two girls still in the base.

"Oh, sure?" they nodded, a little surprised by the request.

"Come on RJ, let's go take a look around town, see if we can't find any information," Ari told her former teacher, sounding a bit more cheerful now.

"Now that we can do," RJ nodded.

"Just, uh, don't wolf out on me again, okay?" Ari grinned, and he rolled his eyes.

"Not funny, Ari," he told her, making Ari giggle.

* * *

Snide hit the ground with a yell, his sword falling out of his hand as he rolled along.

"Is that really all you have?" Kerberos complained, crouched by the sword and looking bored. "I haven't even started to have fun yet," he told Snide, who pushed himself back to his feet.

"It's not even begun yet!" Snide snarled at him, pushing himself up and ramming into the wolf monster, who yelped in surprise. He looked up, and rolled to the side to dodge Snide's blade, that slammed into the ground with enough force to crack the concrete. Kerberos looked at it with his wide purple eyes, and grinned, showing off his fangs.

"Now that's more like it!" he laughed, getting to his feet and kicking out at Snide again.

"Kerberos is toying with him," Arcanon commented with a small laugh. "Excellent. It will teach the fool to think he can stand up to me," he smirked. Singe's head tilted as he wondered why Arcanon was allowing the fight to drag out. He was a man of very little patience, but was taking great pleasure in watching Snide being tossed around.

Hearing footsteps, they looked around to see the Rangers arrive, and Arcanon gave another laugh.

"These must be the so called _heroes_ I've heard all about," he looked from one Ranger to the next. "I'm unimpressed," he declared.

"Lord Arcanon, I'm guessing?" Tyler called to him; Charger in hand.

"That's me. _Really_ , Singe, these are the bugs who defeated you?" Arcanon tilted his head to Singe, who shrugged.

"They're very persistent bugs," he defended.

"I see," Arcanon turned his attention back to the group, hearing Kerberos howl with laughter as he threw Snide through the air.

"We'll show you bugs!" Tyler held out his Charger. "Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the team Morphed, and Arcanon snorted.

"Let's see how you handle this! Now!" he shouted, and they heard a loud howl.

"What?" Koda frowned, before the ground shook.

' _Guys_!' they looked to their Dino Coms as Arianna contacted them. She and Miko looked worried. ' _We just got a hit on the Silver Ranger signature! It's weak, but it's there_ ,' she told the group.

"Jeremy's here?" Teddie asked.

' _We can't get a lock on him. But there's a problem_ ,' Miko spoke up, before the ground shook again, almost throwing them to the ground as Arcanon's wicked smirk grew. They looked up, and inhaled in shock.

"That's the Titano Zord!" Shelby realised, staring up at the massive Silver Zord.

"Jeremy?" Chase shouted as it changed into the Titano Charge Megazord, and suddenly slammed a fist down at them.

"Move!" Tyler yelled, and the Rangers scattered, barely managing to avoid it. The area seemed to explode from the force, and they were thrown in separate directions.

"What the hell!?" Teddie groaned as she sat up, looking up at the Titano Charge Megazord.

"Do you like my surprise, Rangers?" Arcanon mocked from inside the cockpit.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Chase breathed.

"Come on guys, we need Megazord power!" Tyler shouted. "Dino Charger, ready! Summon Zords!" they summoned their Zords, forming three Megazords to face the Titano Zord.

"Three against one," Singe mused idly, standing in the cockpit with Arcanon. "Let's see how well you fare, Rangers!" he smirked.

"Let's go guys!" Tyler called.

"I can't believe we have to fight a Zord, _again_ ," Olivia sighed, standing with Ivan, Chase and Riley in the Ptera Charge Megazord.

"The Titano Zord is powerful guys, be careful!" Kendall warned from the Plesio Charge Megazord with Philip and James.

"Titano Axe," Arcanon smirked, raising the massive axe.

"Pachy Wrecking Ball!" the Plesio Charge Megazord swung the mace, but it bounced harmlessly off chest plate of the Titano. "What?" Philip's eyes widened.

"It didn't even phase him!" James swallowed.

"Ptera Lighting Blitz!" Ivan shouted, and the Megazord charged in. The Titano blocked his attack with the axe, and shoved him back.

"Pathetic!" Arcanon laughed.

"Come on guys! Tricera Drill!" Tyler called, and the Dino Charge Megazord rushed in.

"Para Zord Blast!"

"Ankylo Hammer Punch!" the two Megazords rushed in while the Ptera Charge Megazord fired a powerful blast, but the Titano Charge Megazord blocked the energy blast, and slashed out, hitting the two getting in close. The Rangers cried out, stumbling and falling.

"The Titano Charge Megazord is too strong!" Riley shouted as Arcanon and Singe laughed.

"I'll finish you off, then I'll destroy this pathetic planet," Arcanon taunted them, approaching the fallen Megazords.

* * *

Snide hit the ground again, his armour smoking and dented.

"Just give up. This got boring about 10 punches ago," Kerberos stood over him, kicking the sword away. Snide growled at him, before letting out a yell.

"No!" light shone from the tattoo on his neck, and he put a hand to it as it burned. "Stop!" he shrieked, before changing back to Heckyl. Kerberos cocked his head.

"That was like..." he suddenly let out a cry of his own as Heckyl struggled to try and get up. "No! Get out...of my head! You little rat, you're not-" Kerberos screamed, before changing forms in a flash of silver.

Jeremy fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"You?" Heckyl stared at him, recognising the young man. Jeremy looked up weakly, covered in cuts and bruises. His brow furrowed as he looked at Heckyl, who looked as beaten up as he felt.

"I know you..." he murmured, before looking up as the Ptera Charge Megazord crashed to the ground. "No!" Jeremy stood up.

"And now, to crush you," Arcanon stood over the three fallen Megazords. "Final Colossal-"

" _Stop_!" Jeremy screamed, and the Titano Charge Megazord halted before it could deliver a final strike.

"What?!" Singe gasped.

"You're not using my Zord to hurt people!" Jeremy yelled, and the Titano Megazord shuddered, before changing back into the Titano Zord and ejecting the two aliens inside. It let out a soft roar, and ambled off, to the surprise of the Rangers. Jeremy then put his hands to his head as the pain intensified, as if it was going to split him apart. "Stop..." he whimpered, and in a flash of silver, Kerberos had returned.

"He's like..." Heckyl started as he stumbled away, before Kerberos turned a smirk on him. Heckyl couldn't stop his choke of pain as the wolf monster's leg slammed into his stomach, and he collided with a wall, sinking to the ground as blood poured from his head.

" _Enough_ , Kerberos," Arcanon growled as the wolf went to finish off the unconscious man. "I want him alive. He's still useful to me," he ordered, and Kerberos bowed respectfully. " _You_ should focus on keeping your other side _buried_ ," he warned Kerberos, who nodded.

"Yes, Master," he spoke softly, and reached out to grab Heckyl as Singe couldn't stop his chuckle of amusement.

* * *

"Can someone please tell me what happened out there?" Shelby demanded as the Rangers returned to base. All of them were banged up from their devastating loss against Arcanon and the Titano Charge Megazord.

"I'd like to know what happened out there too," Tyler nodded, rubbing his shoulder.

"I think Arcanon is holding Jeremy captive," they stopped, looking up at Miko's words. She was standing in front of the computer. "I hope you don't mind, I've been analysing this information," she glanced up at Kendall, who's head tilted a little. "When Arcanon first called on the Titano Zord, the Silver Energem signature showed itself. It was muffled, like it was being suppressed, but it was there," the Samurai explained.

"Okay, and why did it stop before finishing us off?" Teddie asked.

"That's where it gets weird. The Silver Energem signature came back full force for just a minute, and at that point, the Titano Zord stopped attacking and left. I think Jeremy must have fought against whatever is making him fight you guys," she continued.

"That explains why the Silver Ranger vanished after the fight," Riley realised. "Singe must have defeated Jeremy and taken him with him when he left Earth," he suggested to the others.

"Jeremy..." Teddie put her hands to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. "We _have_ to help him," she pleaded.

"We will," Tyler promised her, putting his hands on her shoulders and offering a smile. "We'll find him and help him Teddie," he told her, and the others nodded their agreement. Teddie didn't speak, hoping that they were right.

* * *

Wrench, Poisandra and Curio hid behind Fury, all of them watching dubiously as Heckyl was shoved along, chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles.

"I heard you _loved_ solitary confinement," Singe laughed as he and Kerberos pushed him back to the cell.

"I don't like the looks of this," Fury growled, arms folded as he watched.

"Don't worry, I chased away the dungeon rats. I think, anyway," Kerberos smirked at Heckyl, who watched him with a hateful glare. His smirk just widened. "I might have missed one, but they'll probably be back. Have fun with your new friends!" he sang, shoving him into the cell with a grunt.

"Listen up!" Singe shouted to the others watching as Kerberos locked the cell, chuckling. "Lord Arcanon is in charge now. You'll do as he says," Singe warned as Poisandra ducked farther behind Fury. "Or deal with me!" Singe drew his sword, and all but Fury yelped in fear. "Heckyl is nothing but a headache. I say we destroy him," Singe suggested.

"No," Arcanon spoke in a commanding tone. "He'll behave. As long as I have this," he said confidently, opening his book. The eerie light emerged from it, making his smirk grow.

"What about the Rangers?" Kerberos asked.

"None of them will survive!" Arcanon laughed.

* * *

 **I've only four chapters left to write, and I'm a little sad to see it ending!**

 **Let me know what you think!  
**

 **Please review!**


	14. Silver Secret

**Yay! Another update!  
**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Silver Secret

"Levi? Levi Weston. He's your _friend_?!" Shelby's demand echoed through the café. Teddie looked up and shrugged.

"Yeah, I met him at the Battle of the Bands. I guess we're friends," Teddie answered as Shelby stared at her enviously. Ivan chuckled at her amazement.

"I can't believe you never told me!" Shelby complained.

"It never came up," Teddie defended, and Shelby glared at her. "Look, he's just wanting a support group or singer for his next tour, and Ms. Morgan said it was cool he hold auditions here. So he's just coming to check out the café. That's all. So please, don't bother the poor guy," she said as she lifted a tray to leave out in the restaurant.

"He's just a singer, what's the big deal?" Tyler asked her, and Teddie glanced to Ivan with a grin.

"Someone's _jealous_ ," Ivan whispered back quietly to Teddie as Shelby stared at the Red Ranger incredulously.

"' _Just_ a singer'?" Shelby repeated as she stepped out of the kitchen. "He touched the hearts of a whole generation!" she argued as Tyler arched an eyebrow at her, sceptical.

"He's very popular with the ladies," Teddie told Tyler, who shot her a glare to tell her that she was not helping.

"He's just so _cute_ ," Shelby giggled, and turned around to return to the kitchen with the chocolate mix in her hands.

"Shelb-" before Tyler could stop her, she'd walked straight into someone, and the bowl collided sideways with their shirt.

"Hello," Shelby stared with wide eyes up as her victim couldn't help but chuckle.

"Shelby...really?" Teddie groaned, and sighed. "Levi, this is my friend Shelby. Shelby, Levi," she introduced the pair as Levi couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"Okay, Shelby," Levi laughed. "Lean backwards on one...two...three," he leaned forwards as she leaned back, and he caught the bowl. "All good. Well, except for my shirt," Levi looked down at the chocolate staining his t-shirt.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Weston-"

"Levi's fine," the singer smiled, tasting the chocolate. "Not bad," he nodded. "Thanks for letting me hold auditions here today guys. It's really cool," he looked up at the others.

"Maybe Shelby sing for you," Koda spoke up.

"Sure, why not?" Levi nodded as Shelby shoved Koda away. "You should definitely audition. Though maybe leave the chocolate in the kitchen," he grinned as Shelby blushed violently.

"Me? Really?" Shelby gasped as Tyler looked less impressed by the second.

"Come on Levi, my brother probably has an extra shirt around you can use," Teddie rolled her eyes.

"It's okay, I've got a spare with me. Later guys," Levi tipped his cowboy hat, heading out as Shelby waved and Tyler rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I should have suggested Briarwood instead," Teddie grumbled, before their Dino Coms beeped.

' _I've got news_ ,' they gathered around as Tyler answered his Dino Com sullenly.

"Is it Jeremy?" Teddie asked hopefully, worried for her best friend.

' _You need to get to McCadden Forest right now_ ,' they frowned at Kendall's urgency. ' _I've picked up a distress signal. From the Silver Ranger_ ,' she told them, and their eyes widened in shock.

"He escaped them?" Ivan wondered.

"We're on our way," Tyler told Kendall, and they hurried out.

* * *

Reaching the forest, the Rangers, plus Ari and RJ, looked around for any sign of Jeremy.

"The signal's close, he should be nearby," Teddie said as she kept her gaze on her Dino Com, which led them to where Jeremy was.

"There!" Koda pointed to where the Silver Ranger stumbled out from behind the trees, falling to his knees.

"Jeremy!" Teddie ran over, and the others followed.

"Thank god you found my signal...I thought they'd find me first for sure," Jeremy groaned, pushing himself back to his feet. "Arcanon captured me, but I managed to escape while they were distracted," he told them.

"Jeremy-" Riley was stopped by Ari.

"That's not Jeremy," she warned. Chase was scowling suspiciously, Teddie had her hands over her chest, and neither Ari nor RJ looked happy to see him.

"What? What are you talking about? Of course it's-"

"Then why aren't you surprised to see me here?" RJ asked him carefully. "I spent some time with the evil dudes, I know the smell when I get it," he glared.

"I..uh..."

"You don't know who RJ even is," Ari accused. "And not just that..."

"You feel like Snide feels," Teddie breathed, tears in her eyes. "You're not Jeremy!" she shouted. After a moment, the Silver Ranger started to laugh.

"Okay, I gotta admit, you colourful pests are a lot smarter than we thought," he laughed, and drew his blaster. "No matter," he shrugged as they took a step back.

"Why, you conniving little-"

"Time to meet my Titano Morph Blaster!" it beeped loudly as he spun the side and aimed it at them. The Rangers all Morphed, with Ari calling on her armour and RJ activating the Morpher strapped to his wrist. However, as they Morphed, the shot from the Titano Blaster slammed into them, and they were all tossed to the ground.

"Who _are_ you?!" Teddie demanded, bursting through the flames to throw a punch. The Silver Ranger dodged it with a laugh.

"Pathetic!" he mocked her, and grabbed her wrist. Swinging her into the air, he delivered a powerful punch that made her cry out and fall to the ground.

"T-Rex Super Charger, Activate!" Tyler called on his Battilizer. "T-Rex Super Charge, Scelido-Pachy Formation! Activate!" he blocked the Silver Ranger's punch with the shield, stepping back.

"What is happening?!" Ivan demanded.

"How is the Silver Ranger evil? If that's not Jeremy, how has he got his powers?" Chase questioned.

"I don't know," Ari muttered.

"Silver Charge Up!" light started to glow by his fist. "Silver Strike!" he punched out, and the power collided with Tyler, tossing him back as well, and shattering his Battilizer.

"He's so strong..." Koda groaned as he continued to laugh.

"Now to finish you!" the Silver Ranger ran in, before stopping and letting out a cry. " _No_! Not again!" he put his hands to his helmet, demorphing to reveal Kerberos.

"That's the dude who arrived with Arcanon," RJ remembered the small amount of footage they'd been able to retrieve from the wreckage.

"I need to keep you buried!" Kerberos howled, before changing in a flash of Silver. Jeremy fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

"Jeremy!" RJ ran over to him, helping him up.

"Dad?" Jeremy looked up at him, a layer of dirt covering his face, streaked and covered in bruises.

"What's happening to you?" RJ asked him, helping support him as the Rangers got to their feet.

"Arcanon, he cursed me with something like the...Energem, I think he called it," Jeremy spoke weakly. "I share a body with Kerberos, he's pure evil...but because I'm here, he can Morph," he explained.

"Two beings in the same body?" Chase frowned.

"It's just like with Heckyl and Snide," Teddie considered.

"I'm sorry...I can't do anything to help you with him," Jeremy closed his eyes. "He has the Silver Energem, I can't use it," he explained.

"We have to find a way to split you apart," RJ told him, before Jeremy shoved away from him. "Jeremy!" he called out as the energy filled the air.

"Kerberos...he's coming back...I'm sorry..." he whimpered, hands to his head, before the silver light flashed, and Kerberos straightened up.

"Urgh. Weak human! Just like these Rangers!" Kerberos yelled, throwing out his hand and firing a blast of energy that blasted them off their feet. He then rammed Tyler, who let out a yell as he was shoved backwards.

"Tyler!" Shelby cried out, as Tyler was slammed against the cliff.

"Don't worry, Ranger," Kerberos laughed. "Your Energems will soon belong to Lord Arcanon!" he promised, and tossed Tyler to the ground.

"Tyler!"

"You alright?" the others ran over to help him up, and he groaned in pain.

"We'll meet again, Rangers!" Kerberos warned, running off and leaving them.

"Ms. Morgan, we've got bad news. We're heading back to the base now," Tyler contacted the scientist, before frowning. "Hey, what the..." he looked at the small black mark on his Dino Com.

"We have to help Jeremy and get the Silver Energem back," Teddie said as they walked back into the base.

"Once we do, we'll have all 12 Energems," Ivan nodded.

"What happened out there?" James asked.

"Jeremy's got an evil side that's in control of the Silver Energem," Chase sighed.

"What are you-" Tyler hushed Kendall as she went to question what he was doing. They looked around in surprise to see him leaving his Dino Com in a small tank with running water that Kendall had been using for an experiment.

"Guys, Kerberos put a listening decide on my Dino Com," Tyler warned them.

"Why he do that?" Koda frowned.

"I imagine to see what we plan," Philip commented as Ivan peered suspiciously at the tiny device on the side of the Dino Com.

"Right," Tyler nodded. "So we leave it in there until we have a plan that we want him to hear," he grinned.

"Right, so in the meantime, the real plan is to figure out a way to split Jeremy and Kerberos apart," Riley nodded.

"Well it just so happens that not only do we have Kendall," Ari grinned. "But RJ is the one who designed all the Jungle Fury technology. Hey, another Purple," she elbowed RJ. The Violet Ranger looked down at his Morpher strapped to his wrist, having brought it with him when Ari had called. "RJ..." Ari's smile faded, and she put a hand on his arm. "We'll get him back, you know that," she said confidently.

"Yeah, I know," RJ shook his head. "I just..never thought I'd see Jeremy like..."

"Like you were, when your Wolf spirit got out of control?" Ari finished for him. He nodded, and a guilty look showed on his face when he looked at her. He then yelped in pain and shock as Ari punched his arm. "Stop that," she told him firmly.

"Hey, you're not supposed to hit your teacher," he complained.

"RJ you haven't been my teacher in a while," Ari rolled her eyes. "You're my friend and my team-mate, and if you keep looking at me like that, I will have Jenna and Xander kick your butt," she warned, and he paled. "You guys are gonna get this done, and we're going to get Jeremy back. Okay?" she challenged. After a moment, he nodded, and grinned.

"You're right," he agreed. "Thanks Ari. You're just as good at the pep talks as ever. Okay," he clapped his hands together, and smiled at Kendall. "Let's get started," he told her, making the Purple Ranger smile.

* * *

"We're done," Kendall announced.

"Already?" Tyler blinked in surprise as RJ flipped the goggles he was wearing up to rest on the top of his head.

"Miko helped us," the young Samurai waved at them with a smile.

"Just how do you know how to do this stuff?" Riley looked at the girl standing beside him.

"When my dad was my age he build a virtual replicant of himself to help in Ninja Ops while he was out being a Ranger. I'm trying to one up him," Miko winked, and Riley felt his face warm at her smile. Koda giggled nearby, and Riley shot him a glare. "Why, how do _you_ know how to do this stuff?" Miko asked him, and Riley swallowed, finding himself very nervous around the girl.

"So how does it work?" Philip asked curiously.

"The energy from each split emitter will meet in the middle," Kendall explained as she moved the four devices assembled. Miko put a small plant in the middle of them. "The burst it creates should be able to split Jeremy and Kerberos apart," she told them.

"The plant, generously donated by Teddie, is Kerberos, and the rock in it's grip is Jeremy," Miko explained, gesturing to the plant.

"Yeah, bit of a weird request," Teddie nodded, having grown the plant as Miko requested.

"Okay, stand back everyone," Kendall told them as they activated the devices. They began to glow red, before turning green and blue. Kendall activated them, and the lights hit the plant. After a moment, the plant and the rock were separate, with the plant's roots remaining the same, as if the rock was still there.

"It worked!" Tyler cheered.

"It'll take a while, but we gotta amp up the power," Riley told them.

"I can handle that," Ari winked at them, grabbing the devices and carrying them away.

"And while she does that, I'll plan the ambush," Kendall nodded, before they heard a strange noise. Looking around, they saw Shelby sitting at a table, reading a book and trying to sing with her fingers pinching her nose. "Shelby? Are you okay?" Kendall asked her slowly.

"Um," Shelby didn't move her hand. "I need to learn to sing and dance in about an hour," she lowered her hand, and Teddie sighed. Tyler watched through the shelves, and Shelby started to try to sing again.

"Stop, stop!" Kendall groaned, closing the book. "Speak to me," she ordered, taking the Pink Ranger by surprise.

"Levi Weston, he thinks I should audition," Shelby explained, smiling with excitement.

"Oh good grief..." Kendall stared at her.

"What? You think I'm crazy?" Shelby deflated.

"Yes, you are crazy," Kendall shook her head as she spoke honestly. "Along with a million other screaming fans of Levi Weston," she laughed. Tyler turned and walked away, and Teddie followed him.

* * *

Teddie stared at Tyler, not sure she'd heard him correctly.

"You want me to teach you. How to sing," she repeated, and Tyler nodded. "Ty..." Teddie put a hand to her face. "Alright. Let's go," she pulled him along, and through the park to a quiet area. "So. I'll teach you a song of mine, okay?" Teddie snapped her fingers, and her guitar appeared in her hands.

"Isn't that a bad use of magic?" Tyler frowned at her as she sat down on the bench.

"This is clearly important to you. So, I'll teach you," Teddie began to play, singing a couple of lines. "Okay, now you," she told Tyler. He hesitated, before repeating. He then stopped, seeing her face.

"That bad?" he stared at her. Teddie sighed.

"Dude, you're trying too hard," she told him. "Prepare yourself for the crowd, and-"

"Don't mention a crowd," Tyler had gone rigid. Teddie frowned at him, and he sighed. "I have stage fright," he confessed, looking away. Teddie's mouth fell open. It was hard to think their energetic, friendly Red Ranger was scared of crowds.

"Okay," Teddie nodded. "And you're sure you want to audition?" she asked him.

"Yes," Tyler nodded, and Teddie rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Let's try again," she began to play, and Tyler tried to relax, singing along with her, before jumping as Chase took a seat beside Teddie, and he immediately froze up. "Tyler," Teddie shook her head, lowering her guitar.

"Let's keep going," he told her, but Teddie shook her head, letting her guitar vanish.

"We need to talk," she told him, and Tyler took a seat. Chase nodded in agreement.

"She's right. You have stage fright, and you're trying to audition to be a support act for Levi Weston, one of the most popular singers of our time," Chase pointed out. Tyler didn't look at the two. "Look, you, my friend, are trying to impress Shelby," Tyler immediately blushed. "And she likes Levi Weston, the fancy pants singer/songrwriter," Chase waved his arms.

"Maybe you're a little jealous," Teddie suggested in a more gentle tone.

"That's...ridiculous!" Tyler leapt to his feet, his eyes wide.

"What's ridiculous, is you auditioning to sing with Levi," Chase told him firmly, standing up too. "You should just...tell Shelby how you really feel," he told their leader, whose fear showed in his face again. "Her reaction may surprise you," Chase chuckled.

"My brother is right," Teddie stood up as well. "He also knows how it is to admit it. So, admit it," she shrugged, winking at him and walking past with Chase. Tyler sighed heavily.

* * *

"Teddie!" Shelby rushed over to Teddie when the White Ranger returned to the café. "I need your help," she pleaded, and Teddie arched an eyebrow. "The music I was going to use isn't working, and I can't get the backup in time...can you help me?" the frantic Pink Ranger pleaded.

"Geez, why is everyone asking my help today?" Teddie rolled her eyes. "It's almost like I'm a super hero or something," she smirked, and Shelby brightened instantly. "Okay, I'll help you out. But I'm not part of the audition," she told Shelby, who nodded. "I'll go get my guitar," Teddie walked off as Shelby took deep breaths to try and calm down.

"Oof," Teddie bumped into someone, and looked up at the taller girl she'd walked into. "Sorry," the girl apologised, looking stressed.

"It's okay. Are you alright?" Teddie asked her, tilting her head.

"I just had my audition...I know I blew it..." she grumbled.

"Wait, that last singer, that was you?" Teddie stared at her. "You were awesome!" the girl blushed. "Trust me, you didn't blow it," Teddie smiled at her.

"What kind of person are you? Bigging up your competition?" the girl asked bashfully. Teddie laughed.

"I'm not auditioning. I mean I'm helping a friend with hers, but I know a good singer when I hear one. I'm Teddie," she introduced herself to the brunette.

"Cassie," the taller girl shook her hand. "Thank you. My friends couldn't make it and I just felt..."

"Like it was a critical hit to your self-esteem?" Teddie guessed, making the girl laugh.

"Yeah," Cassie nodded.

"Well trust me. That was awesome," Teddie told her confidently, making the girl's smile grow. "I better go, good luck," she waved.

"Thanks, and the same to your friend," Cassie told her, making Teddie's own smile widen.

* * *

Tyler stood in the doorway, looking awestruck as he heard Shelby singing along to the music Teddie played for her. When she was finished, everyone began to clap for her, including Tyler. Shelby blushed at the praise.

"That was great. I knew you'd be good," Levi praised her, sitting beside his manager. Shelby's blush only grew, and Tyler's smile faded.

"Next up is Tyler Hartford," Teddie looked up from tuning her guitar, as Shelby looked up in shock.

"Tyler?! You're auditioning?" Shelby ran over to him as Tyler looked nervously at the microphone in his hand.

"Yeah, so?" Tyler asked defensively.

"But you have stage fright," she reminded him in a quieter voice. Tyler went even paler.

"Hey Tyler, you're up," Levi smiled at him, gesturing for him to take the stage. Tyler took a breath and walked up. Teddie went to move, but Tyler stopped her.

"Dude, you guys need to start paying me," Teddie rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess, you're just his music too?" Levi asked her.

"Apparently I'm just a boom-box to these guys," Teddie complained, and Tyler managed a very small smile before Teddie started to play the song she'd tried to teach him. Tyler remembered the words, having heard Teddie singing it before.

"Woo!" Chase cheered awkwardly.

"Go on Tyler!" Koda cheered as Ivan and Olivia watched, concerned. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and the panic returned to him.

"Tyler!" Shelby rushed over to him as Tyler struggled to find the words.

"Is this part of his act?" Levi tilted his head, watching.

"We're a duo!" Shelby told him quickly, and whispered to Tyler. He visibly relaxed, and gave a small laugh.

"Okay, different song then," Teddie rolled her eyes. "You guys _owe_ me," she warned the pair, and started to play. Shelby started to sing first.

" _Just like a rainbow, bright and warm,  
After a hazy summer storm,  
Flowers blooming fresh with drops of dew_," she sang, and Tyler took a breath.

" _Watching you stare into the sky,  
In the crimson sunlight,  
That's when I fell in love with you_," he sang, and the others clapped, impressed by Tyler's singing.

" _Each moment in a picture frame,  
_ _I'm holding on,  
_ _No single shot will ever fade_ ," Shelby continued with a smile, and the two sang to each other as Tyler completely relaxed, and at the end, everyone applauded the pair.

"Thank you," Tyler smiled to Shelby, who blushed and smiled back.

"That was great, you two," Levi praised them. "A really fun song to listen to," he told them, and they grinned, before Teddie pushed them off the stage.

"And with that, I'm done," she told the pair. Tyler caught her as Shelby went into the kitchen.

"Thank you," he whispered, and she shook her head.

"Don't worry about it dude. But honestly. Think about what Chase said," she told him, before their Dino Coms beeped. They went into the kitchen to join the others, and answered it.

' _The split emitters are ready. Meet us in McCadden Forest_ ,' Kendall told them.

* * *

"Okay, team," Kendall leaned over a map of the clearing that marked four spots. "This is the plan to ambush Kerberos. We need the four Split Emitters places precisely in these locations. Tyler, here is where you'll wait," Kendall indicated to the middle of the clearing. "Kerberos will have to come in this way. If he transforms, we can split him," she explained.

"But you will need to wait for him to be transforming before it'll work, remember that," RJ spoke up.

"No problem," the Rangers nodded, splitting up. They placed the devices in the four places, starting them up.

"Let's get back there and hope that this works," Teddie said to Chase as they activated the prism.

"It'll work Teddie," Chase told her confidently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get Jeremy back, don't worry," he smiled at her. Teddie nodded, before Chase stopped her. "Hold up," he smirked, pointing to where Tyler and Shelby were talking. Tyler was looking away as she talked, going red, before she put her hand on his chest. He looked up in surprise, and edged closer.

"Koda!" Teddie hissed, and the two grabbed the caveman as he went to approach them, pulling him back.

"What wrong?" Koda frowned, looking at the two in confusion.

"Shh," Teddie hushed him. Completely oblivious to what was going on around them, Tyler leaned in closer and kissed Shelby in a shy first kiss.

"The Split Emitters are-" Kendall stopped as the pair pulled away quickly, going bright red. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll just-"

"It's fine, we were just..."

"Oh, we know what you were doing mate," Chase smirked as they walked over.

"Spying, really?" Shelby hissed at them.

"Keeping Koda from ruining your moment, actually," Teddie giggled.

"You didn't really keep to a private location either," Olivia grinned as she walked over with James and Philip, and Tyler's embarrassment grew to the point where he vanished.

"Ah! Not again!" he yelped in alarm. Even Shelby and Kendall couldn't help but laugh at him. After calming down, Tyler turned visible again, but was still blushing.

"Tyler," Kendall managed to turn serious again. "This is very dangerous for you," she warned him.

"As long as I don't have to sing, I'm ready," he smiled. He took out the Dino Com from the jar they'd kept it in, and cleared his throat. "I'm going after Kerberos, he's gotta be the forest," he said, trying not to sound rigid.

"Tyler, you need to wait for the team," Teddie spoke up, having been chosen as the best actress of the group. And they could see why. "Please, at least let me go with you," she pleaded.

* * *

Kerberos leaned in closer to the old radio that had been connected to the bug he'd planted on Tyler's Dino Com. He smirked, listening with delight.

' _No Teddie, I gotta handle this alone. He beat me last time, I won't let him win again_ ,' the Red Ranger said awkwardly, but Kerberos didn't notice the way he spoke.

"Got him!" Wrench laughed.

' _I'll do whatever it takes to beat him_!' Tyler declared.

"Excellent work Kerberos," Lord Arcanon nodded, impressed.

"You'll soon have the Red Energem, Lord Arcanon," the wolf bowed to him. "And then, the rest will follow!" he laughed.

"The universe will finally be mine," Arcanon chuckled.

* * *

Tyler pulled the bug off his Dino Com, and crushed it in his hand.

"Kerberos should be here soon. Better get into position," he told them, and the others nodded.

"Be careful," Shelby told him, making him smile and squeeze her hand.

"I will Shelbs," he told her with a nod. As he walked away, the others Morphed and hid. Teddie grinned as they watched Tyler walk into position.

"Aw, so cute," she teased, and yelped as Shelby punched her arm. "Well it is," she giggled.

"I owe you for the auditions, don't make me regret it," Shelby warned her. Teddie just patted her shoulder.

"Sometimes I think Teddie might be a little too devious," Philip considered.

"Only sometimes mate?" Chase asked him, grinning in amusement. They watched as Tyler stood waiting, and Kerberos walked into view. Tyler took a breath, facing him.

"How nice of you to hand deliver an Energem to me," the wolf smirked.

"I'm leaving here with two Energems," Tyler promised him.

"You're not leaving here at all!" Kerberos growled, touching the leather collar around his neck. The Silver Energem shone from inside it, before vanishing inside it. Tyler raised his Charger, and the two ran at each other, Morphing. "Silver Strike!" he punched Tyler as they met in the middle, and Tyler let out a cry of pain as he was tossed through the air.

"Tyler..." Shelby went to stand, but Ivan stopped her.

"Not yet Shelby," Kendall shook her head.

"He has to wear Kerberos down so he'll change back," RJ warned her. Shelby hesitated, but nodded.

"I'm just getting started!" Kerberos kicked out at Tyler, who struggled to stand his ground, before he was shoved backwards. Tyler pushed forwards, and punched back, but Kerberos met him with a kick. He laughed as Tyler fell to the ground, groaning in pain. "Fool, you have no chance against me," the wolf taunted him as he demorphed. He held up a clawed hand, and it started to shine with power. "Thanks again, pathetic Ranger!" he laughed, but as he went to finish Tyler of, he froze. "No!" he wailed, stumbling back as the power in his hand faded.

"I think he's changing," Chase muttered.

"No! Jeremy! Not now! Just stay in there!" Kerberos stumbled backwards from Tyler.

"Get ready," RJ said to Kendall, who raised the remote to activate the Split Emitters.

"He's transforming!" Tyler yelled as Kerberos started to glow silver. "Ms. Morgan, do it!" he shouted, and she activated the machine. Tyler leapt away, and the lights slammed into Kerberos.

"What's happening?" he cried out, before an explosion rocked the area, and Kerberos landed on the ground as Jeremy rolled along in another direction.

"It worked!" RJ leapt down to Jeremy as Kerberos snarled, pushing himself up.

"You damn Rangers! You might have freed Jeremy, but I still have the Silver Energem!" Kerberos yelled as the others ran to join them.

"My head...it's clear," Jeremy breathed as RJ helped him up.

"Easy buddy," RJ smiled at him as Teddie ran over and hugged him tightly.

"Ah, ease up Ted, my ribs," Jeremy groaned.

"Kerberos is trying to escape!" James shouted, seeing the wolf stumble away.

"We can't let him escape!" Jeremy shook his head, glaring at his other self.

"Go on, I've got Jeremy," RJ told the team, who nodded and ran off.

"Dad..." Jeremy stared up at his dad, who smiled back at him.

"I'm glad you're alright," Jeremy hugged him tightly, and RJ let out a sigh of relief.

Light slammed into Kerberos, and he began to grow with a loud howl that echoed all over Amber Beach, and the Rangers stopped running.

"Let's fight fire with firepower!" Tyler cheered, and they summoned their three Megazords.

"Para Zord Blast!" the Rangers fired the shot that shoved Kerberos back with a howl of pain. He rushed at them, kicking out, but the Ptera Charge Megazord blocked it with the Scelido Shield.

"Let's finish this!"

"Ankylo Hammer Punch! Final Strike!"

"Bladed Raptor Slash, Final Strike!"

"Compo Blade Slash, Final Strike!" Kerberos yelled in pain as the three attacks collided with him, and the explosion rocked the area. Kerberos landed on the ground below with a groan, his body smoking.

"You halfwits, I'm defeated, but not destroyed!" he yelled up at them, putting a hand to his collar. "You'll never get the Silver Energem!" he vowed, running off with a laugh.

* * *

"Jeremy," Ari smiled as the Silver Ranger arrived in the base with the others. "It's good to see you're okay," she nodded to him.

"More or less," the blond nodded. "Arcanon still has the Dark Energem, _and_ Kerberos has the Silver Energem," he sighed, looking around the base.

"This is bad..." Kendall looked worried.

"The Dark Energem is what turned me into Kerberos," Jeremy explained. "It was like he was splitting me apart. All I could feel was the darkness and evil," he shivered.

"You're alright now," RJ told him carefully, seeing the haunted look in Jeremy's eyes.

"I'm gonna go upstairs," he turned away, walking off, and Ari and RJ exchanged concerned looks. It was going to take a while for Jeremy to recover.

* * *

"Hey, Teddie," the White Ranger looked up and smiled as Cassie approached her. "I just wanted to say thanks. For what you said earlier. It really meant a lot," she said, and Teddie nodded.

"No problem. I meant what I said," she told the girl.

"I heard you playing guitar for your friends. You're really good," Cassie complimented, and Teddie blushed.

"Thanks, I-"

"Hey Ted," they looked around as Jeremy approached.

"Jeremy, how are you feeling?" Teddie smiled at him, and he shrugged.

"Ah you know. Whole," he said, and Teddie laughed as Cassie tilted her head, wondering just what he meant.

"Jeremy, this is Cassie, she's an amazing singer," Teddie introduced the pair, and Cassie blushed as Jeremy turned his blue gaze on her.

"Huh. Does this mean I can replace you?" he smirked, and Teddie slapped his arm.

"Not a chance, jerk!" she frowned at him. "JJ's a drummer," she explained to Cassie, who laughed.

"I see. And you're looking a new singer?" she asked, making Jeremy smile slightly.

"Well this is just great," Teddie rolled her eyes. "Enjoy your new band," she called tearfully, walking away, before grinning, glancing over her shoulder as Jeremy and Cassie started talking properly. "Now that I did not expect," she chuckled.

"Oh? My, only himself again for an hour and he's found himself a new friend," Ivan stood beside Teddie, smiling in amusement as Teddie giggled. However, it faded, and Ivan looked at Teddie as she looked thoughtful.

"Hey, Ivan?" she looked up at him, curious. "Do you think that's why Heckyl and Snide are the way they are? Because of the Dark Energem?" Teddie asked him curiously. Ivan frowned.

"Teddie...I thought-"

"I'm not going to, I swear," Teddie raised her hands quickly. "I drew the line, remember? He's evil and I'm good, it won't happen again," she insisted as Ivan watched her warily. He then looked away.

"The similarities are there, I will admit," he allowed, looking up at Jeremy. He still seemed off, but was already looking better. "But remember that Jeremy is good and Kerberos is evil. Both Heckyl and Snide are evil," Ivan told Teddie.

"I know. But I wonder, if I'm right, how they came across the Dark Energem," she wondered.

"Thanks for your patience," Levi called to the crowd in the café, and they all turned to hear his announcement as Tyler and Shelby walked over, holding hands. "I'm proud to announce that the covering artist for my latest tour, is...Cassandra Edinger!" he announced, and Cassie went rigid.

"Me?" she whispered.

"Congrats!" Teddie cheered. "Go on," she clapped as Shelby tried not to look too disappointed. Cassie walked over to Levi, shaking his hand and looking like she was trying not to throw up on him. "Sorry guys, but hey, seems everything worked out for the best," she called to Tyler and Shelby, who exchanged looks.

"Get her!" Teddie let out a cry and ran off as the two chased after her, making her laugh.

* * *

 **So what are your thoughts on Jeremy as the Silver Ranger? I've been planning it for _ages_!**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	15. Howls of Danger

**Wasn't sure I was going to be able to update this today, my computer decided that it didn't want to work at all yesterday. Thankfully I got it fixed and decided to update as a celebration.**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 15: Howls of Danger

Jeremy's gaze swept around the base belonging to the Dino Charge Rangers, curious but seeming disinterested as the other Rangers sat around the room. He took in each Ranger, recognising some from spending time with them after their performance not that long ago.

His eyes lingered on James, who was looking over maps and discussing locations with Ari, trying to figure out where Sledge's ship was. An unfortunately for them, Jeremy had no clue where it was. Kerberos had kept him unaware for a lot of the time; the only time his control slipped was during a fight when he grew too excited.

Hearing a giggle, he looked to Arianna and Philip, recognising Philip as the Prince of Zandar. His brow arched, wondering just how he'd become a Ranger as well. The Prince was talking with Arianna and Ivan, completely relaxed, just like the rest of them. Jeremy sighed, unable to stop himself from being completely tense.

"JJ?" he looked at Teddie, who had approached him. "How did you find the Silver Energem in the first place?" she asked him curiously. The others looked over, just as interested. Jeremy shrugged.

"I found it on the beach by Ocean Bluff. I was there, right after I'd gotten my Master's Mark," he looked down to the tattoo on his arm, and was hit with a flash of his excitement and joy over passing his test. "It was right by the shore, I thought it looked cool so I kept it," he explained.

"He just beat you guys out then," Chase grinned to Philip and James, who shrugged.

"Then I came here to tell you guys, and when I saw the fight...well, you know what happened there," Jeremy continued. His gaze then darkened. "Singe beat me, and knocked me out. Next thing I remember, I was locked up," he shivered, and Teddie went to touch his arm, but hesitated, unsure. Jeremy appreciated it, not quite willing to be touched yet. "Then after that, it was a constant battle with Kerberos. I was aware sometimes of what was going on, but he could block me out if he really wanted to," he shook his head.

"Jeremy, you don't have to keep going," Teddie told him gently, and he nodded slowly. "I'm just glad you're free now," she smiled. Jeremy shook his head, and turned away.

"I'm not celebrating just yet," he said firmly. "Not until I get my Energem back," Jeremy looked to the other Energems that shone brightly in the Crystal Beds. His was the only one missing. He walked to the door, making them frown.

"Wait, Jeremy, where are you going?" Riley called as they stood too.

"To prepare myself to fight Kerberos," Jeremy declared.

"We'll go with you," Tyler told him, but Jeremy shook his head.

"No. I'm doing this by myself. You'll only get in my way," he turned and walked out before they could stop him.

"Wait, what?" Teddie frowned.

"He thinks we're a nuisance?" Chase frowned, a little hurt.

"I thought he was supposed to be cool," Shelby frowned as Teddie looked at the ground. She didn't understand why her friend was still acting so distant.

"Jeremy's spirit was infected by Kerberos for some time," Keeper approached Teddie, who was glaring at the ground. "That darkness is not so easy to shift. He will return to normal, Teddie, do not fear. Be patient as he remembers the value of teamwork," he told the White Ranger.

"Right," she nodded.

"Let's get to work," Tyler called to the team. "We could do some training to make sure we're ready," he suggested, and they nodded, heading out as well and calling on their Energems.

* * *

A howl echoed through Sledge's wrecked ship, loud and fearful.

"Please don't destroy me, Lord Arcanon!" Kerberos wailed as he struggled in the grasp of two Skybolts. Another four lay on the ground dazed as he put up a fight. "I know how I can Morph into a Ranger again!" he pleaded as he was dragged out.

"Wait," Arcanon sighed, having been sitting ignoring him as Singe watched with amusement. "Let him speak," he ordered, and the Skybolts turned Kerberos around.

"The Rangers may have split us apart, but I know I can merge back with Jeremy," he told Arcanon. His voice was a mixture of desperation and fear, knowing that if he failed, he was dead. "Just give me the Silver Energem, please," he pleaded. Singe rolled his eyes.

"What a waste of time," he commented.

"Silence, Singe," Arcanon warned over his shoulder. He pulled the Silver Energem from his pocket, and handed it over to the wolf, whose tail wagged a little in excitement. "This is your last chance. Don't underestimate the Rangers again," Kerberos returned the Silver Energem to the collar around his neck. "Either you become the Silver Ranger, or be destroyed trying," Arcanon ordered, and Kerberos swallowed nervously.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Chase called as Koda stood on a tree stump, holding a stick. The Blue Ranger nodded, and Chase looked at the rock in his hand, before tossing it. Koda hit it with his stick, tossing it high into the air.

"Home run Koda!" the Blue Ranger cheered, and both Tyler and Shelby shot it. It exploded, showering everyone in the rubble, and two cheered.

"I hit it!" both declared, and looked at each other. "No, I hit it! Stop copying me! No, you stop!" Tyler and Shelby argued simultaneously, before laughing, bumping each other.

"They've really gotten ridiculous now," Olivia grinned, trapping James in an arm lock.

"I thought they were always like that," the Aqua Ranger commented mildly as he slipped free and turned, sweeping his leg at her ankles, and she leapt over it.

"Not as bad as that. Since they started dating it's been exhausting," Olivia grinned, before hearing a thud nearby.

"Please," Teddie called over as she offered Philip a hand, pulling the Prince back to his feet. "You and Chase can be just as bad," she told Olivia, who blushed as James laughed.

"Not as bad as Philip and Arianna!" she defended.

"I fail to see what I did to deserve that," Philip shrugged. Teddie giggled, patting his shoulder.

"She's just deflecting," she told him, and Philip caught her hand, twisting and flipping Teddie to the ground. "Oh come on, I was defending you," she laughed, on her back as Philip stood over her.

"Yes, this time. Besides, I couldn't resist getting one over on you," he admitted, offering his hand. Teddie grabbed it, and Philip found the world flipping as he landed on his back as well. "I deserved that," Philip admitted.

"What? I couldn't resist 'getting one over on you'," Teddie giggled, standing. "Now, I'll help you up, if you don't turn on me," she offered her hand, and Philip took it, standing again. He brushed the grass from his hair, before moving into a fighting stance again to face her. They stopped, hearing a howl nearby, and looked around.

"What was that?" Riley wondered as he and Ivan lowered their swords.

"It's coming from over there," Tyler commented, and they jogged in the direction they heard it.

Jeremy took a deep breath, moving swiftly as his Wolf Spirit bounded around the trees, and he practised several different kicks, before jumping up. He kicked off a tree, and spun, and kicking out before landing lightly. His wolf then growled, and he looked around. He frowned suspiciously at the Rangers as they watched, fascinated.

"Spying on me?" he asked irritably, grabbing a towel to dry the sweat from his face.

"No, we just heard noises and came to see what was happening," Tyler explained.

"That spirit..." James approached as the wolf walked back over to Jeremy. It was larger than a real wolf, and a silver aura surrounded it, leaving small purple flecks. "It's remarkable. What is it?" he asked curiously.

"My animal spirit," Jeremy answered flatly, and the wolf turned to him before vanishing. "Everyone who practises the art of Pai Zhuq harnesses their animal spirit, to work in harmony with it and materialise it to help fight," he explained.

"It's definitely the coolest we've seen," Riley grinned.

"You're hilarious," Chase rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm not out here to entertain you guys," Jeremy told them, annoyed. "I'm training to defeat Kerberos, and my animal spirit is not a parlour trick for you guys to find _cool_ ," he growled.

"Jeremy, chill," Teddie stood up to him.

"No, I won't," Jeremy shook his head. "You have no idea what Arcanon is capable of," he turned away.

"Then tell us," Shelby told him. Jeremy glanced to her, his blue eyes clouded with anger. "We need to know," she didn't back down, and he looked away.

"He's pure evil. And I don't mean that in some over dramatic way. I mean he's evil enough to hold the Dark Energem, and not be influenced by it's power. One brush of that power turned me into..." Jeremy shook his head. "He destroyed a whole planet, killed all the people who lived there, just to get the Dark Energem," he told them.

"When he destroyed Sentai-6," Ivan remembered what Keeper had told them.

"Yeah," Jeremy nodded. "When Singe captured me and brought me to him, they tortured me," Jeremy's gaze was haunted as he remembered it. "But even then, I refused to help him, to join him. So, he touched me with the Dark Energem, and Kerberos was born," he explained.

"That explains Snide," Shelby realised. "The Dark Energem must have touched Heckyl, and divided him too," she looked to the others.

"Heckyl..." they glanced up at Jeremy as he remembered something. "Yeah, he changed, like me and Kerberos," he remembered with a nod.

"You saw him?" Teddie asked, her head tilted.

"Yeah, he tried to fight Arcanon...Kerberos was too busy kicking his ass to keep me buried, but from what I know, he's locked back up in solitary on Sledge's ship," Jeremy told them.

"That's one less to worry about," Riley nodded, but Jeremy was still watching Teddie as another memory surfaced.

" _If you come back here Singe, I will destroy you," Heckyl warned him, his hand glowing blue._

" _Hah!" Singe scoffed. "If Snide told me right, I imagine you told that pretty little White Ranger exactly the same thing!" he mocked._

Jeremy stumbled, and looked up at Teddie again. She didn't notice, looking at the ground.

"What was that about?" he wondered.

"What's wrong?" Tyler asked, wondering what was going on as Teddie met Jeremy's gaze. Her eyes widened, and she stepped closer to Ivan as Jeremy stared at her.

"I-" he stopped as they heard a loud howl echo. "Kerberos," he growled, and sprinted off before the others could stop him.

"We have to help him," Teddie ran after him, and the others followed.

"Missing something, Jeremy?" Jeremy landed in a quarry, looking around. His eyes narrowed as Kerberos approached with Arcanon and Fury.

"Keeper told me already. The Silver Energem won't work with you. You're evil, it won't let you Morph," Jeremy told him confidently.

"I won't be on my own for long!" Kerberos warned him. Jeremy gave a small laugh, falling into a fighting stance.

"You're deluded, if you think I'm going to join you again," he told the wolf, who growled.

"You don't have a choice!" Kerberos warned, before looking up as the other Rangers reached them.

"Stay back! This is my fight," Jeremy told them with a growl of his own. "Kerberos is way more powerful than any of you," he warned.

"Maybe on our own, but not together!" Teddie shouted at him. "You _know_ this JJ, Rangers fight together!" she cried. "It's Morphin Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"Unleash the Power!" the Rangers Morphed and stood between Jeremy and Kerberos.

"I told you, this is _my_ fight!" a silver aura surrounded Jeremy, and his wolf burst free with a howl.

"Look out!" Chase shouted, and he and Tyler barely avoided being hit by the wolf as it charged at Kerberos. He ducked under the wolf's swipe, and charged forwards.

"Out of the way!" Kerberos rammed past them and leapt up to kick at Jeremy, who blocked with his own kick. Kerberos then threw out his leg, and Jeremy rolled under the blast thrown out, which tossed the rest of the Rangers to the ground. He then landed and grabbed Jeremy by his jacket and threw him into the air, before spinning and hitting him in the back, shoving him to the ground.

"He's so strong..." James groaned as the Rangers struggled to try and get up. Kerberos laughed loudly.

"Don't resist! I am your destiny," he told Jeremy, who pushed himself back up.

"I'd rather die than that!" he yelled. Kerberos laughed again, and spun, throwing out a leg. Silver energy pulsed out, slamming into Jeremy. The real Silver Ranger cried out, flipping through the air before landing with the rest of the Rangers. "The Dark Energem will make us one again!" he declared as he stood over Jeremy.

"Break his spirit," Arcanon ordered as Jeremy glared up at his other self.

"Oh, I'd be honoured," Kerberos cackled.

"Stop!" Teddie pushed herself up, right as Kerberos kicked out with another energy blast. She punched his leg, knocking the blast off course and narrowly missing Fury and Arcanon. "Get back, creep," she warned the wolf, who laughed.

"Teddie!" Jeremy shouted, trying to get up as Teddie moved into a fighting stance.

"You'll pay for that!" Kerberos's claws began to glow, and he slashed out, catching her across her chest. She screamed, thrown to the side. She sank to the ground, laying motionless.

"Teddie!" Chase yelled, but his sister didn't respond.

"Yes! One less Ranger, and one more Energem!" Kerberos laughed. "I warned you to stay out of it Rangers, but if destruction is what you want, then so be it!" he approached them slowly, before jumping back to dodge the purple blast that hit the ground where he'd been standing.

"Dude, step back," RJ warned as he stood in the way with Ari, both Morphed.

"Those two again," Arcanon frowned. "Who are they?" he turned to Fury as he let out a snarl.

"I don't know who he is, but she's the Legendary Golden Warrior. The mother of the Black and White Rangers," he told Arcanon, who hummed.

"I see. So that's her," he murmured.

"Hey, looks like you're famous," RJ commented lightly.

"Aw RJ, you jealous?" Ari grinned back.

"I'll crush you pests too!" Kerberos roared, running at them, but Ari snapped her fingers, and the group vanished in a flash of gold. "Come back and fight, you cowards!" he howled, but they were long gone.

"So...that was the Legendary Golden Warrior. I see the team is under her protection. No matter. She won't stop me from ruling the universe!" Arcanon declared. "Kerberos! If you cannot capture your other half, I will kill you myself," he warned Kerberos as the wolf turned back to him. "And take the Silver Energem from your ashes," Kerberos gulped, knowing that it wasn't a threat to take lightly.

* * *

The Rangers watched, worried as Ari tried to heal Teddie, who still hadn't woken up.

"Is she going to be okay?" Chase asked, not moving from Teddie's other side.

"I don't know," Ari admitted, her glowing fading. "Whatever he's done...I can't heal it," she sighed, staring at her unconscious daughter.

"Has that ever happened before?" Ivan asked quietly. None of them knew what to do.

"Once," Ari murmured, thinking back to it. "When it was an injury to my spirit, and not my physical body," she told them quietly.

"Then, what Kerberos did wasn't to her body, but her spirit?" Philip realised with a frown. Ari nodded.

"I've never seen anything like this before," Kendall admitted as Arianna bandaged up the three claw marks below Teddie's collarbone, which were glowing orange.

"Me neither," Ari stood, walking away.

"Ari..." RJ followed her.

"I wish she'd never found that damn Energem," Ari admitted as she took a seat away from the rest of the group, out of earshot. RJ took a seat beside her. "She's been hurt so many times. Both her and Chase. I know she's hiding a lot more pain from us, not just physical. If she'd never found that Energem..."

"My dad said the same thing once," Ari looked at RJ in surprise, tears in her eyes. "And I think your parents have probably thought it more than once," he smiled at her. "But being a Ranger, it was my destiny, yours, and Teddie's. The same with Jeremy. I'd never wanted him to become a Ranger, but if it's his destiny, I can't really argue it," he shrugged. "No matter how much I wish it didn't happen. They'll be alright, Ari," RJ told her, and Ari chuckled, but it shook.

"I guess you're still my teacher, huh?" she said softly, making him grin.

"You never stop learning Ari," he nudged her, and Ari laughed a little, nodding.

"Yeah," she wiped away her tears. "Thanks, RJ," she smiled at him.

"Hey, what are friends for?" he grinned. "Other than making great pizzas," he added.

"Oh, you are so making pizza later," Ari smiled, and RJ grinned.

"Well, I do have a successful business in making pizza," he said.

"Kerberos is too powerful. I told you," the Rangers looked around at Jeremy as he spoke, leaning against the wall. "It's Teddie's own fault she got hurt. She shouldn't have interfered," he said, taking them by surprise.

"Interfered?" Chase repeated, and before Jeremy knew it, Chase was in front of him, swinging his fist. Jeremy went down, and immediately Chase was pulled back by Riley and Tyler. "She saved your life out there! She's your best friend, she protected you, and you don't even care!" he shouted at Jeremy, who stared up at him stunned. Chase had never lost his temper like that in front of him.

"I warned you to stay back, but you didn't listen," Jeremy recovered and got to his feet, and Chase struggled more. Riley moved aside, and Tyler forced Chase into submission using his enhanced strength.

"Hey!" Arianna then shoved Jeremy backwards, her silver eyes narrowed in a furious expression. "Don't you dare say that! You're _alive_ because the Rangers helped you," Philip caught Arianna and kept her from doing anything reckless as Jeremy scowled at her. "You're still _here_ , and not merged with Kerberos like he wants, you idiot!" she shouted.

"This won't help anyone," Philip warned her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"He's right," Ivan nodded. Tyler looked just as ready to hit Jeremy, but was keeping Chase down.

"Okay, enough," RJ walked over, clapping his hands together. "You dudes are already fighting the enemy, you don't need to be fighting each other," he told them.

"Why don't you guys get some air?" Kendall asked. They looked around, and when Chase's muscles finally relaxed, Tyler let him up. "I'll take care of Teddie," she told them. Chase stood, and shot Jeremy a dark glare, before storming off, followed by Tyler, Ivan and Riley. Arianna huffed, taking Philip's hand, and the two followed suit, along with the rest of the Rangers. Jeremy put a hand to his face as it stung, already feeling like it was swelling.

"Jeremy," RJ turned to him.

"Don't, dad," Jeremy turned and walked away, but RJ followed him. "Are you going to tell me I deserved it? That I should have let them get themselves killed?" he demanded, his voice shaking.

"Well, I was going to congratulate you on being the one that made Chase snap just like his dad," RJ commented, but Jeremy didn't react, sitting down and glaring at his hands. "Jeremy, did you really mean what you said?" he asked, forcing Jeremy to meet his gaze.

"I...of course not," he admitted softly, looking away. "Dad, ever since Arcanon touched me with the Dark Energem, it's been so hard to stop myself from sinking into that darkness," Jeremy admitted. "Anger, vengeance, those emotions seem to come naturally now but...I know that's not me," he put his hands to his head.

"Jeremy, buddy," RJ gave a small laugh. "You are so much like me, I'm amazed Jenna doesn't complain more about it," he laughed, and Jeremy looked up at him, tears in his eyes. "You need to open up and _trust_ your team. You can't just run off and expect to handle this by yourself, trust me. It only gets people hurt," he looked over to where Ari was sitting with Teddie.

"What happened? With you and Ari?" Jeremy asked him, and RJ sighed.

"J-"

"Dad, please," Jeremy pleaded.

"It's alright RJ, tell him," Ari called over. RJ sighed, a haunted look in his eyes.

"I was once captured by Dai Shi, before I became a Ranger," he told Jeremy, who stared at him. "He tried to force me to hand over my animal spirit. I refused, so he infused my wolf with his darkness, making me lose control of my animal form," RJ explained to his son. "I tried to hide it. I tried to run away so I wouldn't be a burden, a distraction, to the Rangers. But then I lost control and almost killed Ari. If it wasn't for her healing ability, I would have succeeded," Jeremy looked over to Ari in alarm. "You need to rely on your team. Being submerged in that darkness made you forget how to feel the good emotions. You just need to let yourself feel them again," RJ smiled at him. Jeremy looked down at his hands, dwelling on his dad's words, and wondering if he could do so.

* * *

"How could Jeremy be so cold?" Tyler wondered softly as he thought about what Jeremy had said.

"Keeper told us not to give up on him," Ivan reminded him, trying to keep faithful.

"How's the hand?" Olivia asked Chase as he rubbed his knuckles, looking irritated.

"Fine, keeping me focused," he admitted, and sighed. "Serves me right, huh?" he looked up at her, and Olivia smiled, taking his good hand.

"I think Jeremy needed it," she told him, leaning against him as he sighed.

"I think I was equally surprised that Arianna lost her temper with him," James commented, trying to lighten their mood a little. She blushed, lowering her head.

"I didn't mean to..." she murmured.

"Being Arcanon's prisoner, and tied to Kerberos must have been difficult," Philip squeezed her hand lightly in reassurance. "But, I believe he must be a good person deep down. Why else would the Silver Energem have bonded with him?" he looked to the others, just as concerned.

"He has a point," Riley agreed. Chase sighed.

"He _is_ a good guy," he admitted. "I've known him my whole life. This isn't him," he said with certainty, leaning his head against Olivia's. They jumped as shots were suddenly fired, hitting the table and narrowly missing them. "We got company," Chase sighed, and they got to their feet.

"Arianna, get back to the base," Tyler called to her.

"I know!" she sighed, running off.

"UNLEASH THE POWER!" the group Morphed, and began to fight off the four monsters that had been reanimated.

* * *

Jeremy approached Teddie as the others left the room, and he frowned down at her. She didn't move, still asleep, breathing deeply. He then sighed.

"I'm sorry Teddie, I didn't mean what I said. Thank you, for trying to save me," he murmured softly. "And thanks, for sticking with me when I tried to run away. That's what I always admired about you. You never give up," he smiled, brushing her hair from her face. He then sighed, turning away. "Now, I've got a wolf to beat," Jeremy smiled confidently, pulling out his sunglasses and turning, walking away.

"It seems the boy has found his way again," a figure in red and black materialised beside Teddie, looking down at the sleeping girl "Good. Now, for you, dear heart," the woman looked at Teddie, who still didn't wake. "Let's see what we can do for you," she put her hands over the bandage, where her wound was located. Her breathing turned erratic, and she frowned in her sleep, and she started to glow blue, before it flashed, and the woman stumbled. "That was some power. You have strength in you, Althea Bly," she told her softly. "Keep strong. The darkness cannot last when people like you bring them light," she encouraged, and disappeared in a shower of red sparks.

* * *

"So you fought these monsters before?" Ivan asked as he and Tyler worked together to defeat Slammer.

"Yeah, but now they're even dumber than they look!" Chase laughed.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" they blasted the two, destroying them easily.

"Two down!" Tyler laughed.

"Two to go!" Olivia grinned.

* * *

Jeremy walked through the forest, feeling the pull of the Silver Energem as he looked around. He followed it instinctively, looking around. He knew it was a trap; his Wolf was warning him against it. But he couldn't back down now. Hearing a growl, he sighed.

"Finally, Kerberos," Jeremy turned to him. "I thought I was gonna have to get a dog whistle and a couple of squeaky toys," he taunted. He fell into a fighting stance as Kerberos growled. "Let's finish this," he called.

"Yes, let's!" Kerberos laughed, launching at him. He kicked Jeremy back, and he skidded along, barely staying on his feet as his eyes narrowed. "You're pathetic! You're just a weak human, you'll never be strong enough to take me!" Kerberos taunted him.

"Please, you're just a pale imitation of me," Jeremy told him, a silver aura surrounding him. "Call to the beast inside! Unchain the Wolf!" the howl of his Wolf echoed through the forest as it burst free, running at Kerberos as Jeremy followed.

However, the ground exploded by Jeremy's feet, and he was tossed through the air with a cry. He flipped through the air, almost landing on his feet before falling forwards, barely catching himself before his head hit the dirt. Kerberos laughed, blasting the wolf and causing it to vanish.

"Looks like you forgot that I don't fight fair!" Kerberos mocked him as Jeremy groaned, showered with dirt and stones. Fury and Singe walked into view, yanking him back to his feet. Arcanon approached, and Jeremy struggled fiercely, glaring up at him.

"Once you touch the Dark Energem, you and Kerberos will reunited. And this time, the Rangers can't save you!" Arcanon taunted him. Kerberos laughed.

"I can hear your fear, little Jeremy, you're _scared_ ," he mocked.

* * *

Teddie's eyes flew open, and she gasped, sitting up.

"Jeremy!" Kendall whirled around as Teddie leapt up.

"Teddie! Are you okay?" she rushed over as Ari and RJ looked up in surprise.

"I feel fine," Teddie nodded, pulling the bandage off her stomach. She paused, looking at the scars across her chest, over her heart, her eyes growing wider, before she shook her head.

"You're healed? That's impossible," Kendall breathed.

"Not impossible...but I wonder just _who_ could have done it," Ari approached, feeling a crackle of energy in the air near Teddie.

"Jeremy, he's in trouble," Teddie fixed her shirt and grabbed her jacket.

"You were dreaming!" Kendall tried to stop her.

"No, I wasn't! I saw Jeremy, Kerberos tricked him and now they're gonna recombine unless I help them," Teddie ran to the doors, calling on her White Energem. "Call the others, I'll meet them in the forest!" she called as she left. Kendall sighed.

"She's as crazy as you are," RJ commented as Kendall contacted the other Rangers.

"Aren't you glad for that?" Ari countered as she straightened up.

"Of course," RJ nodded in agreement. Ari grinned.

* * *

"Dino Morpher Blast!" the group of Rangers defeated the last of the monsters, but as the smoke cleared, their Coms started to beep.

"What now?" Tyler questioned, lifting his from his belt.

' _Jeremy's in trouble. Teddie's gone after him_ ,' Kendall warned them.

"Teddie's okay?" Chase asked, leaning over Tyler's shoulder.

' _I think so, but she needs your help_ ,' Kendall told him impatiently, looking worried for both their White and Silver Rangers. ' _I'm sending you co-ordinates_ ,' she said, and the location popped up on the screen.

"We're on our way," Chase nodded.

"Let's go!" Tyler shouted.

* * *

Jeremy struggled against the chains that held him to the tree, his body smarting. He'd tried to fight back, and had nailed Singe in the face with a good kick, but they were too strong.

"One touch of the Dark Energem is all it will take," Arcanon opened his book, and the light started to spill out. Jeremy struggled more fiercely, his fear growing and making Kerberos giggle.

"No...no I can't go back to that!" he yelled, remembering the darkness swallowing him up. Tears burned his eyes as he fought uselessly against his restraints. He didn't even notice them chafing his wrists as he struggled desperately to get away from the Dark Energem.

"Don't worry Jeremy, we'll be together forever!" Kerberos sang mockingly, grabbing Jeremy's arm in a painful hold. The Dark Energem floated up towards Jeremy, who let out a scream.

"Stop!" they looked around in shock as Teddie streaked through the trees. She held up a hand, and threw an energy-ball that collided with the Dark Energem, and the explosion tossed them all back.

"No!" Arcanon roared. "Find the Dark Energem, now!" he ordered Singe and Fury, who nodded and rushed off. "Your plan has failed," he turned on Kerberos, who pushed himself to his feet before Arcanon slammed him against a tree. He let out a cry of pain, struggling with Arcanon's hand around his throat. "I'll destroy you myself," he decided, having had enough of Kerberos' failures. However, before he could do anything, the pair were blasted.

"How about we destroy you both?" Tyler called.

"Dino Steel, armour on!" the Rangers called on their weapons, and ran at Arcanon and Kerberos.

"The Rangers can have you!" Arcanon growled, tossing Kerberos aside and vanishing in a plume of smoke.

"Lord Arcanon! Come back!" Kerberos howled, before turning tail and fleeing before the Rangers could get to him. They gave chase, not about to let him get away again.

"Jeremy!" Teddie ran over to her friend, who was gasping for breath. "Are you alright?" she asked him, crouching beside him.

"Teddie, I'm so sorry!" she was surprised when he pulled her into a tight hug. He was shaking, and unable to stop his own crying. "Thank you for helping me," he mumbled as she hugged him back.

"Hey, it's what Rangers do. And friends. Now dude, come on," Teddie helped Jeremy up. "Let's get the Silver Energem back so we can kick butt!" she told him, and Jeremy smiled back at her.

"Right," he nodded. "Hey, how are you alright?" he asked, realising that she seemed healed.

"I had a dream. Some woman healed me. Said I'd need to be here to save your sorry butt," Teddie teased him. Jeremy rolled his eyes as Teddie handed him his fallen sunglasses.

"She so didn't say that," he argued.

"I dunno, sounded that way to me," Teddie giggled.

* * *

"There he is!" Philip spotted the fleeing wolf, who had no idea where he was running to.

"Don't let him get away!" Tyler shouted, before another monster landed in their way.

"I'm out of here!" Kerberos whimpered, running off as Scrapper blocked their path.

"Tyler, we'll take Scrapper. You finish off Kerberos," Chase said to Tyler, who nodded.

"Got it!" Tyler agreed. "Dino Charger, Ready! Activate! T-Rex Super Charge, Ready!" he called on his Battilizer and followed Kerberos away from Scrapper, before blocking his path. As the two began to fight, the others fought Scrapper.

"Let me go!" Koda grunted as the monster grabbed him, hitting him repeatedly.

"Pachy Punch!" Philip punched Scrapper, forcing him to let the Blue Ranger go. Scrapper then turned to him, and hit the Graphite Ranger, knocking him away.

"Stego Shield Punch!" Koda punched Scrapper hard.

"Time to put Scrapper in the trash!" Shelby lifted her Tricera Drill.

"Great idea," Riley nodded as he, Olivia and Shelby combined their weapons. "Koda!" he tossed the weapon to Koda, who nodded and lifted his shield.

"Weapons combine!" he called. "Quadruple Spike Pierce!" Koda stabbed Scrapper with the powerful weapon using his caveman strength. Scrapper babbled, wailing as he stumbled away from Koda, and exploded.

"A dinotastic finish, Sir Koda," Ivan nodded her approval, before five more monsters leapt into view.

"Oh come on," Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Not these three creeps again," Chase complained, lifting his Para Chopper.

"That's not all," Shelby called as three more monsters leapt in.

"But we defeat these monsters before," Koda frowned.

"When's that stopped them? This is getting exhausting," Olivia sighed.

"We'll just destroy them again," Riley said confidently as he lifted his sword again. "Take one each!" he called. The Rangers split up, fighting off a monster each. However, they were powerful, and the Rangers struggled to try and defeat them. Kerberos laughed as three more rushed Tyler, before a howl echoed through the quarry. A large wolf rushed through the area, knocking the monsters away from everyone, giving them a moment to catch their breaths.

"You!" Kerberos growled as Jeremy approached with Teddie.

"You came!" Tyler smiled in relief.

"Of course. I'm part of the team, right?" Jeremy grinned at him, making Tyler's smile grow.

"Then I'll destroy you both!" Kerberos vowed.

"I'll help the others," Teddie told Jeremy, who nodded. He ran at Kerberos, and ducked under his kick.

"I've beaten you time and time again Jeremy! You won't win!" Kerberos warned, lashing out with his sharp claws.

"Oh yeah?" Jeremy grinned, and his wolf slammed into the monster, making him yelp and fall to the ground. He let out a wail as Jeremy ripped the collar off his neck. "Not if I have this, I wager," he pulled the Silver Energem free.

"No!" Kerberos screamed as Jeremy jumped back.

"The Silver Energem chose _me_ , not you!" he called as a purple and silver blaster appeared in his hand. He slotted in the Silver Energem, and it shone. "It's Morphin Time! ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" he fired the blast, and the energy surrounded him, leaving him in his Silver suit.

"He did it!" Shelby smiled with relief.

"Nice!"

"Now that's more like it!" Teddie grinned as Kerberos pushed himself up, and Jeremy approached him.

"I'll kill you, Jeremy!" the wolf howled.

"Titanosaurus! Power Ranger Silver!" Jeremy then ran at Kerberos, kicking out and nailing the monster with energy that flew from his leg. Kerberos yelled in pain, stumbling back and falling to one knee.

"You won't beat me that easily!" he vowed, however when he looked up, he saw the Rangers fighting with renewed vigor, defeating the monsters.

"T-Rex Super Charge Blast, Final Strike!" Tyler finished off the monsters as they fell in a pile, using a powerful move to destroy them. "Yeah! Monsters extinct!" he laughed.

"Again..." the others breathed.

"Anything you have to say before we end this?" Jeremy asked Kerberos as he drew a sword.

"Arcanon will crush you!" Kerberos warned him, pushing himself back to his feet.

"I doubt it!" Jeremy launched at him, kicking out and sending silver energy crashing into Kerberos, before leaping into the air. "Titano Sabre, Final Strike!" with a powerful slash, he destroyed Kerberos, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Monster extinct," he declared.

"Nice one JJ!" Teddie laughed, hugging him as the others cheered.

"Welcome to the team Jeremy," Tyler nodded.

"Thanks guys," Jeremy nodded.

* * *

"Hey, Teddie," the White Ranger looked up, having been looking at the scars on her chest, and tugged her cami back up completely to cover them. "I'm sorry, for that," Jeremy apologised, pointing to the scars.

"Psh, don't be stupid. It wasn't you who did it," Teddie gave a dismissive wave. "You joining us out here?" she asked, gesturing to the rest of the team. "We could always use someone else to-"

"Pick on?" Jeremy guessed.

"Never," Teddie looked insulted, making him chuckle. He then stopped, and met her gaze, making her tilt her head.

"Ted, what happened with you and that guy? Heckyl," Teddie stiffened, immediately looking to the others. None of them seemed to hear them, and she swallowed. "You guys seemed close when I saw you before, back when I visited. And then I heard Singe say something when he captured me. ''If Snide told me right, I imagine you told that pretty little White Ranger exactly the same thing'," he repeated, and Teddie sighed.

"Heckyl got close to us to try and steal our Energems. Snide thinks he got too close to me," Teddie told him, and Jeremy kept his gaze on her.

"Did he?" he challenged. Teddie took a breath, and shrugged, her head falling forwards.

"Yes," she answered honestly, and Jeremy sighed. "Don't mention it to the others, please," she requested, and he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Course not," he smiled at her, and Teddie smiled back. "I mean, you're still an idiot with terrible taste and-" Jeremy was cut off as Teddie swept his legs out from under him.

"Hey guys, Jeremy's joining us for practice," she called over with a bright smile as everyone looked around to see Jeremy pushing himself back up.

"Just as long as Chase doesn't punch me again," he grinned, and Chase went red as Teddie frowned.

"What? Wait, _Chase_ did that?" Teddie poked the bruise on Jeremy's face, and he jerked away.

"It was almost as good as Arianna getting mad at him," James laughed.

"Arianna lost her temper? Chase punched you?" Teddie demanded. "What the heck did I miss?!" she groaned.

"Quite a lot apparently," Philip grinned in amusement.

"We don't need to go over it," Chase rolled his eyes.

"No," Jeremy chuckled. "But thanks, guys. I really appreciate what you did for me. And you helped me remember how to be a team," he told them, making the group smile. "So," he slipped on his sunglasses, and Teddie rolled her eyes. "You guys ready for some training?" he grinned, and they laughed.

"Ready?" Chase called as he and Ivan held up several rocks. Koda nodded, and they threw the rocks for him. He knocked each into the air, and shots hit them, destroying the rocks.

"Oh, you hit them," Tyler and Shelby smiled to each other. "No, you hit them! Stop copying me!" they couldn't help but laugh.

"Do we have to do this every time?" Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Actually..." Teddie giggled.

"We hit them," Jeremy grinned as they held up their blasters. The others started to laugh as Tyler and Shelby blushed, and Jeremy nudged Teddie, happy to be a part of the team.

* * *

" _You'll never get your evil hands on this!" there was a loud explosion. "He mustn't get it!"_

" _Where am I? What's this?"_

" _Now you begin to see the power of the Dark Energem..."_

Teddie woke up from her dream plagued with explosions and screams, shivering as she sat up. She struggled to catch her breath, letting her heart rate recover from the nightmare. As it did, the tears came, and she put her hands to her face.

"Teddie?" Arianna sat down on the bed beside her, having been woken by Teddie's nightmare. "What's wrong?" she asked gently, and Teddie shook her head.

"A nightmare..." she managed to say through her tears. "Something about the Dark Energem," Arianna hugged her, as both wondered what the cause of the nightmare was.

* * *

 **So Jeremy has officially joined the team! I'm glad you liked the change, I was a little nervous about it!**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	16. Love At First Fight

**So this episode is supposed to be earlier, but I felt I could fit it in better now with what all is going on.  
**

 **So I hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Love At First Fight

"You know," Chase called to Jeremy as the new Silver Ranger walked into the kitchen. "I might go back to my Pai Zhuq studies after we're finished here," he considered, making the blond smile.

"Oh yeah? Jealous of my sweet Master's rank?" he waved his wave in Chase's face, showing off the black tattoo.

"More surprised you actually passed, mate," Chase retorted.

"Ouch," Jeremy laughed. "You should definitely go back. I'm sure Minos would be glad to have more students," he suggested, and Chase nodded, considering it.

"Oh _JJ_ ," they looked around as Teddie sang out his name, walking in. "A new customer in your section," Jeremy tilted his head, wondering why she seemed to be delighted with this, and looked out. Immediately he went bright red and ducked out of view.

"Teddie if you go-"

"Not a chance. You can't avoid Cassie just because you think she's super cute," Teddie told him, shoving a notepad into his hands. "Go on, be free!" she then shoved Jeremy out the door as he protested.

"You're like the world's most violent Cupid, you know that?" Chase commented idly as he flipped a burger.

"Someone has to be to get you idiots to admit how you feel," Teddie shrugged, not feeling any remorse as she spied on Jeremy, who walked rigidly towards Cassie.

"Uhuh.." Chase rolled his eyes at her attitude, well used to it by now.

"Hey," Cassie looked up, and smiled brightly at Jeremy, who's blush darkened.

"Hey Jeremy, I didn't know you worked here," she smiled at the young man, blushing lightly herself.

"Just started. Gonna be in town for a while so I thought I may as well," Jeremy shrugged, incredibly awkward. "How's it going with preparing for the tour?" he asked, and watched as her eyes lit up.

"It's going so well. We start touring in a week, all over America for two months. Then I'll be back here," Cassie nodded, excited. Jeremy smiled, finding it adorable, before shaking his head.

"Oh, uh, what can I get you?" he asked, and Cassie's smile faltered a little before she made her order. Jeremy headed back into the kitchen, where he let out the breath he'd been holding.

"You should just ask her out already mate," Chase said, not looking up from preparing an order.

"I thought your sister was the violent Cupid," Jeremy scowled at him, and he grinned.

"She is. I'm the wise one," Chase looked up. "She likes you too mate, it's obvious. Just go for it," he encouraged. Jeremy nodded slowly, taking in a breath.

"Giving relationship advice again, Chase?" Tyler asked in amusement as Jeremy walked out to talk to Cassie again.

"Hey, it's not my fault the advice works. Helped you, didn't it?" Chase pointed out, and Tyler rolled his eyes with a smile.

* * *

"Hey guys," Arianna greeted as she and Philip walked into the café after lunch. The few customers who were leaving shot them curious glances. It was well known by now that the Prince was often seen there, but it was still strange to actually see him. Not that anyone could get close. His escort, Oscar, was still keeping an eye to ensure he wasn't bothered.

"Hey," Teddie called from the kitchen, walking out with some cleaning supplies. "Come to help us?" she asked teasingly.

"Isn't Jeremy supposed to be helping?" Arianna asked with an amused smile.

"We told him he could skip cleaning today," Teddie grinned as she cleaned down a table. "He's off to the park with Cassie," she told them.

"Your singer friend?" Arianna smiled, knowing that Jeremy had had a crush on her since they met. It had taken him a little while to realise it, but once he started returning to normal, he'd become shy around the pretty girl.

"I see he's adjusting to being removed from the Dark Energem," Philip commented, amused too. Teddie laughed, but her mind immediately went to her nightmare that she'd had the night after Jeremy had defeated Kerberos. It was a blur, and she didn't remember much, but she knew she recognised the voices.

"We figured it was only fair he have some time to be free," Tyler nodded as he swept up.

"That's sweet of you," Arianna smiled.

"Nah, Chase just said it so Jeremy would stop reminding him that he punched him," Teddie grinned. Chase shot her an irritated look.

"Oh, are we back on the subject of Chase losing it?" Riley grinned as he and Ivan walked in.

"No, we're not," the Black Ranger rolled his eyes, stomping into the kitchen as the others laughed.

* * *

"I can't believe I didn't see you at the show!" Cassie laughed as she and Jeremy walked through the park, talking. At first they'd both been shy, struggling to talk, but then they'd gotten onto the topic of music, the two had come out of their shells.

"Me neither! I'd have sworn I'd have recognised your singing," Jeremy grinned. Cassie blushed.

"Well, I came seventh," she shrugged. "What about you?" she asked. Jeremy chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked ahead.

"Second," he admitted, and Cassie's eyes widened.

"Wow, that's amazing. You guys must be incredible," she said enviously.

"Ah, we do okay," Jeremy shrugged, adjusting his sunglasses. Cassie glanced up at him, smiling.

"So what are you hiding behind those sunglasses? You wear them an awful lot," she accused, and he gave a small laugh. He pulled them off, waving them lightly.

"Nothing at all. I just think they make me look cool," he admitted. Cassie giggled.

"I think you look cooler without them," she told him, and Jeremy felt his face warm again.

"If you say so," he slipped the sunglasses into his pocket, and took her hand. Cassie was surprised by the action, but let his fingers link with hers, and she moved closer as they kept walking.

"So what's keeping you in town for a while? And where do you normally live?" she asked as they took a seat on a bench, looking out at the fountain in the middle of the park. Jeremy couldn't help but smile as he watched people pass by. For a while, he thought he'd never see such things again.

"Ah you know, just trying something different," Cassie looked at him, seeing a secretive smile on his face that left her wondering just what he was thinking. "I'm from Ocean Bluff," he then answered.

"I've never been there," Cassie glanced away as Jeremy looked at her, hoping she hadn't been caught staring at him.

"You should go sometime. My dad's pizza place is the _best_ ," he told her, making Cassie smile.

"Maybe I should go visit," she considered. "I think Levi might be having a show there. I could always go for pizza after the show," she said.

"I'll take you, if you want," Jeremy offered, and Cassie's blush grew.

"You asking me on another date?" she asked, and he smiled at her.

"Well, I don't really class a walk around the park as a proper date," Jeremy admitted, not looking away from her. "How about-" before he could ask, his Dino Com beeped, and he sighed. "Sorry, just a second," he angled away from her, answering the device he'd been given when he joined the team.

' _We have trouble in town_ ,' Teddie warned. Jeremy sighed.

"I'll be right there. Send me the co-ordinates," he said, and she nodded. "Cassie, I'm sorry, I gotta go run an errand real quick for a friend," Jeremy sighed, standing up. Cassie frowned, but nodded slowly.

"Okay..." she said.

"I will be back as soon as possible, I'll uh..." Jeremy paused, and sighed. "I'm just gonna be lame and ask. Can I have your number?" he asked her hopefully, and Cassie couldn't stop her smile.

"Of course. That's not lame. I like when a guy doesn't hide who he is behind a pair of sunglasses," she teased, and Jeremy grinned back. They exchanged numbers, and Jeremy ran off.

* * *

"Dudes, what's happening?" Jeremy called as he met up with all the Rangers, minus Shelby, Olivia and Kendall, and James, who had left to continue the search for Sledge's ship.

"These are the co-ordinates Ms. Morgan and Shelby sent us," Riley frowned as they looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Not a soul in sight," Ivan shrugged.

"Great, I gotta get back to Cassie," Jeremy sighed, turning to run off, only to almost run into a monster.

"Oh! You're all so horribly _cute_!" the monster, which looked like a Vivix in a wig with massive red lips and pink cheeks exclaimed as she took a look at them. Other Vivix stood with her, and Poisandra and Wrench watched from behind. "I'll spare whichever one of you wants to be my boyfriend! The little girl ain't included, I want a cutie!" Teddie arched her eyebrow.

"Little girl?"

"Thanks, but we'll pass," Riley called as Teddie questioned the disregard to her.

"Think I speak for all of us when I say: It's Morphin' Time!" Tyler shouted, holding out his Charger as he stood beside Jeremy. "Dino Charger!"

"Ready!" the group lined up together.

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!"

"Let's take them down!" Tyler called. They started to fight off the Vivix, but as ones grabbed Ivan, Riley and Koda, Beautycruel walked up to them, and dragged the large make-up brush across them. A grey mark appeared where she brushed them, and as she backed away, the Vivix let them go and they sagged.

"What going on?" Koda groaned.

"I feel weak!" Ivan fell to one knee.

"What did you do to them?" Teddie called as she stood in front of them.

"I took some of their power," Beautycruel smirked as she turned to the Vivix. "And I'm giving it to you, and you, and you!" she brushed the three Vivix, and capes appeared on their backs in Green, Blue and Gold. "Gorgeous, now attack!" she ordered, and the three ran at the Rangers.

"They're wearing our colours!" Koda groaned, and Teddie cried out as the Vivix in the Blue cape jumped on her.

"And this one has your caveman strength!" she yelped as it twisted, throwing her to the ground before turning on Philip.

"They're not kidding around!" Tyler groaned as the one in the Green cape hit him.

"They're using our powers against us!" Chase complained.

"Not cool!" Jeremy ducked under the Gold Vivix.

"Double Club!" two Skybolts slammed the ground with their clubs, causing it to explode and tossed the Rangers to the ground.

"None of those Rangers seem interested in being my boyfriend!" Beautycruel complained.

"At least you made them weak," Wrench laughed.

"But I'm still so lonely..." Beautycruel whined.

"Vivix! Finish them off!" Poisandra ordered as she and Wrench turned and left with Beautycruel.

"These losers couldn't finish anything!" Jeremy was back on his feet. He grabbed his sword, and ran at the monsters. "Titano Sabre, Final Strike!" he swung, destroying them.

"Nicely done," Chase cheered.

"Our powers...coming back," Koda looked up as the grey makeup vanished.

"We have to stop the others," Philip reminded them, and they nodded.

"You guys stay here, we'll stop them," Teddie told Ivan, Koda and Riley, who nodded, still on the ground as they caught their breaths.

"Let's go!" Tyler called, and the five Rangers still able to fight ran after Beautycruel and the others. Poisandra and Beautycruel shrieked and ran off, and Wrench turned to the Rangers. He ran at the Rangers, who scattered to dodge his attacks.

"Take this, you tin can!" Tyler kicked Wrench, and the robot yelped as he was knocked into the path of Jeremy's sword.

"Pachy Punch!"

"Compo Blades!" Teddie spun as Wrench was slammed in her direction, and he cried out, rolling along the ground.

"I'm outta here!" he shrieked, scrambling to his feet and vanishing.

"He's gone," Tyler groaned.

"He'll be back," Teddie shrugged as they demorphed.

* * *

"I gotta meet Cassie back at the café," Jeremy said to Teddie as they walked back to the museum.

"That's cute. How's it going with her?" Teddie smiled, hands behind her back. Jeremy couldn't help but smile.

"She's really great. I was in the middle of asking her out on a proper date when these idiots showed," he complained, and Teddie laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Welcome to being a Ranger," Tyler grinned.

"Easy for you to say, your girlfriend _is_ a Ranger," Jeremy pointed out. Tyler and Teddie laughed, before hearing a loud scream. They looked around to see a young woman being terrorised by Poisandra.

"Hey!" they sprinted towards them, and Poisandra gasped, turning and running away. Tyler stayed behind to check to see if the woman was alright, and Teddie and Jeremy followed Poisandra. However, when they turned a corner, she'd vanished.

"It really is annoying when they do that," Teddie complained, her hands on her hips.

"Come on, we better make sure that girl's alright," Jeremy chuckled, and they ran back to where the young woman was talking to Tyler. He was smiling at her with a goofy look on his face, unable to look away.

"She got away," Teddie told Tyler.

"Whatever," he barely even looked at them, making the two exchange confused looks. "I got what I want," Tyler kept his attention on the redhead, who giggled.

"Wanna get something to eat?" she asked with a wink.

"Do I ever!" Tyler took her hand, and the two hurried off to the museum.

"What did I just miss?" Jeremy frowned.

"I have no idea," Teddie shook her head.

* * *

"Let me go! I'm going to kill them!" Shelby shrieked as it took Koda and Chase to hold the furious Pink Ranger back.

"Shelby stop!" Arianna pleaded with her, as Teddie held an ice pack to Riley's cheek. He'd been unfortunate enough to be close to Shelby when they'd warned her that something was wrong with Tyler, right as he walked in with Britney.

"No point in trying 'Anna, she ain't gonna listen to you," Teddie sighed as Shelby glared daggers at the two, who then got up as Britney complained about the noise.

"What's that on Sir Tyler's back?" Ivan noticed the pink mark across the Red Ranger's back first, making them frown as it shimmered. Britney turned her head and stuck out her tongue, and Shelby struggled even more.

"That's like the make-up that the monster used on you guys," Jeremy frowned.

"Except that stuff was grey. This is pink," Chase frowned.

"That may be what has Tyler acting so weird," Teddie considered as they looked to the doorway.

"Guys," Olivia hurried in. "Ms. Morgan's found alien bio-signs in the city," she warned them.

"Let's check it out," Shelby growled, her fury restrained and ready to be unleashed on a monster. "It might explain what is going on with Tyler," she muttered. However, as they went to leave, Cassie walked in, and Jeremy's eyes widened.

"Cassie!" he gulped.

"I got your message, are you free to hang out now?" she asked with a smile. Jeremy sighed.

"I'm really sorry, but-"

"More errands?" Cassie's smile faded a little.

"I'm sorry Cass," Jeremy moved around her, backing away to join the others. "I'll call you later, okay?" he called, running off with the others, leaving Cassie very confused.

* * *

"I'm so blowing this whole dating thing!" Jeremy groaned as they walked through town.

"JJ, she'll wait for you, don't worry," Teddie shook her head.

"But-"

"Let me out!" a girl's wail echoed towards them, stopping Jeremy from continuing his complaints. They looked at a dumpster, which had been shut over, as it thumped, as if someone was inside. "Help!" they ran over, and Koda moved the lock, lifting the lid. As soon as he did, they leapt back in alarm as Beautycruel popped out. "Thank you so much," she jumped out.

"Stay back!" Chase warned with a growl.

"No, please!" she yelped, jumping back in alarm. "Don't be afraid! You have to help! This isn't me!" she insisted.

"Explain thyself!" Ivan demanded.

"I'm a normal girl," Teddie couldn't stop her laugh of disbelief. "I'm serious! Some pink freak attacked me, and the next thing I know, I'm the monster she was with, and the monster was me! Here, check my wallet," she offered her back, and Shelby took it, checking it quickly. Her eyes widened, and she gave a low laugh.

" _You're_ Britney?" she demanded, recognising the ID as the girl with Tyler.

"Yes! Please! Can you help me get my body back?" the girl pleaded.

"Of course we will," Teddie nodded. "But you're going to need some sort of disguise," she commented.

* * *

Lifting the sheet curiously, Philip blinked as he came face-to-face with the Vivix face covered in thick makeup.

"Hi there," Britney greeted in surprise, looking up at him.

"That's a new look," Philip quickly lowered the sheet.

"It's bad, right?" Riley commented.

"Yes, I can see the problem," the Prince agreed as he walked back over to them. Ivan and Koda moved the affected girl out of the way. "We have to get the monster back in its body before it can be destroyed," he surmised.

"But how are we gonna switch them back?" Chase wondered.

"I don't think we can," Teddie admitted, thinking about it. "I mean, think of it like a spell. Only the caster can reverse it," she explained.

"That did little to help me understand," Philip told her, and Teddie rolled her eyes.

"I'm making Arianna bring you to Briarwood," she threatened as he smiled. "Let Phineas do the explaining," Teddie grumbled as Chase chuckled.

"That old Troblin is to the point," he agreed.

"Troblin?" Philip's head tilted.

"Can we get to the point where we swap them back and get me my boyfriend back please?" Shelby snapped at them.

"Sorry," Teddie giggled.

"Well, ignoring the spell part," Riley frowned. "I think the most logical solution is to make the monster _want_ to swap them back," he suggested.

"Then we're gonna need someone who can sweet talk that monster until she'll do anything for him," Shelby smirked, looking at Chase.

"No way. My bro is useless with flirting with other girls now, since he and Oli got together," Teddie grinned as Chase gulped. "Do you not remember how he couldn't go near Erin?" she laughed.

"Hey! Not cool," Chase growled at her, blushing.

"Then who?" Shelby asked Teddie, who hummed.

"Well let's see. She wanted a boyfriend in general. Ivan?" she suggested.

"Too chivalrous. We'd be old by the time he courted her," Chase declined.

"True. Riley?" Chase immediately snorted at Teddie's suggestion.

"As offended as I could be by that," Riley started, frowning at Chase. "No way," he declined. Teddie sighed, before looking up. Philip immediately paled as her dark brown eyes landed on him, and a devious grin spread across her face.

"Well, what about the charming Prince?" she grinned as they all looked up at Philip. "I mean girls are always falling at your feet, aren't they?" Teddie teased him, well aware of his own fangirl legion.

"I'm afraid I must decline," he shook his head, knowing he would not be a good choice to try and charm the monster.

"Then it looks like Chase is our best shot," Shelby said impatiently, and Philip breathed a sigh of relief, still alarmed at the idea.

"Uh...maybe not," Teddie turned around as Jeremy walked by, whistling. He stopped, looking up, and found them all looking at him.

"What?" he frowned.

* * *

Jeremy hesitated at the bushes, peering out at where Tyler and the real Beautycruel were sitting having a picnic. She reached out, playing with Tyler's Energem, which hung around his neck over his shirt.

"Do I really have to do this?" he groaned.

"Yes, you're our only chance, please JJ," Teddie pleaded with him. Jeremy sighed.

" _Fine._ But you owe me," he told her, and she saluted.

"We'll call it even," she told him, making the Silver Ranger grin in amusement.

"Fine, fine," he sighed, and walked out into the open as Beautycruel went to take the Red Energem. "Tyler, you cheat!" Jeremy shoved the Red Ranger back, saving his Energem from the monster. "Hiding this lovely lady away before anyone could see her," he smiled at Beautycruel, who giggled. "I'm Jeremy. And you?" he held out his hand.

"Britney," she took his hand, and he kissed her knuckles.

"What a beautiful name," Jeremy smiled. Tyler reached out to grab his hand, but Jeremy slapped his away. "It matches your beautiful eyes," Beautycruel giggled, blushing as Jeremy lifted his sunglasses to wink at her.

"Dude, back off!" Tyler grabbed him, yanking him away from the girl. "I saw her first," he growled.

"No, _you_ back off," Jeremy grabbed him, and shoved him into the bushes.

"Hey!" Tyler yelled, before vines wrapped around his body, stopping him from moving as Koda put a hand to his mouth.

"Nicely done, but how long will these hold him?" Philip asked Teddie, whose hands were glowing green.

"Hopefully long enough for us to snap him out of this," she muttered back. Jeremy took a seat beside Beautycruel again, smiling at her.

"Sorry about that, I just couldn't bring myself to share you," he smiled at her. "Britney, I can't explain it, but I just can't even think about being apart from you," Jeremy told her, hoping he sounded genuine. Beautycruel gasped.

"You love me!" she exclaimed, and he nodded. She glanced away, and he grimaced at the idea. She turned back, and he helped her up.

"Let's go," he led her away, hoping to keep her away from Tyler.

* * *

Beautycruel sighed happily as she held Jeremy's hand, walking through the park.

"Britney, I just gotta say, you're just so real," he told her, stopping and taking both her hands.

"Real?" she tilted her head, confused.

"Yeah, you know, happy with who you are!" Jeremy nodded. "You're cool and funny, your personality is amazing!" Beautycruel looked delighted, before he sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry, it's just...you're not really my type," her smile faded.

"What?" she demanded. "Not your type?" she sounded hurt, and Jeremy struggled to remember that she was evil.

"Well, yeah," he let her hands drop. "I mean, I'm more into short blonde hair," Jeremy said as he tried to think about what the real Beautycruel looked like.

"Short hair?" she repeated.

"Yeah! And you know what else? Big, red lips!" Jeremy exclaimed, and she put a hand to her mouth. "And I mean _huge,_ like taking over half your face big!" he exclaimed.

"What about eyes?" she asked, curious.

"Uh...I don't really care about eyes. They're the least interesting part," Jeremy shrugged. "Who even needs eyes?" he laughed.

"Right! No eyes!" Beautycruel laughed with delight.

"But I don't mean to make you feel bad," Jeremy turned back to her quickly. "I'm just saying, if you looked like that...it would be perfect," he sighed. "I'm never going to find someone that perfect," he shook his head, unaware that Cassie was watching the two.

"Maybe you already have," Beautycruel grinned as Cassie ducked behind a tree. "Wait here for one minute!" she went to leave, but he caught her hands.

"Britney!" he smiled, pulling off his sunglasses. "You are the muse that lights up my life," he declared. Britney smiled, before running off. Jeremy sagged, groaning. "That was exhausting," he muttered.

"So I'm guessing our date's off, huh?" he whirled around to see Cassie watching him with tears in her eyes.

"Cass, no, wait, I-"

"Forget about it. This is why I don't date musicians," she turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Cassie!" Jeremy shouted, but she didn't stop. " _Dammit_ ," he groaned. "This is why one of those other morons who have girlfriends who _understand_ should have done this," he complained, slumping into the leaves. His Dino Com beeped, and he reluctantly answered it.

' _Is everything set_?' Kendall asked.

"Yeah. She's on her way," Jeremy sighed.

' _Good work_ ,' Jeremy got back to his feet and jogged off, unaware that Cassie was following him, determined to give him a piece of her mind.

"How dare he ask me out if he's got a girlfriend!" she growled, following him.

* * *

"Stop right there!" Jeremy called as Beautycruel swapped bodies with the real Britney, who looked down at her hands, smiling in relief.

"Darling!" Beautycruel smiled as she skipped over to him. "Can't you see? It's me? Your love!" she called out as he sighed. "I changed just for you Jeremy! Now I'm your perfect dream girl! Short hair, big lips, no eyes!" she laughed. "You told me I was the muse that lit up your life!" she reminded him.

"Yeah, that was a lie. There's a girl I'm just getting to know, and I like her, but thanks to you, that's ruined," Jeremy shook his head with a heavy sigh, before lifting his Titano Blaster. "But at least I can make this right!" he called.

"Jeremy!" Beautycruel gasped, taking a step back in alarm.

"It's you!" Tyler smiled as the others walked up to stand with Chase.

"What?" Beautycruel gasped as Koda and Ivan pulled Tyler back. "You Rangers tricked me!" she wailed.

"I still think you're beautiful!" Tyler yelled as he shoved the two off him. "I love you!" he yelled, and Teddie snapped her fingers. Vines burst up and grabbed him. "Not again!" he wailed.

"Please, can we destroy her yet?" Shelby groaned.

"Come on, I'll get you home," Ari helped Britney up, guiding the terrified girl away from the fight.

"Dude, _how_ did you do it?" Olivia asked Jeremy, baffled. "She's so gross," she shivered.

"It wasn't easy," Jeremy sighed. "I think I'm gonna need mind bleach," he complained.

"How dare you!" Beautycruel wailed. "Now I'll just destroy you all!" she declared.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" Jeremy fired a shot that hit the make-up in Beautycruel's hand, destroying it. She shrieked in horror.

"No! My magic make-up!" she wailed, dropping the scorched make-up to the ground. Tyler stopped struggling, and the vines vanished as he blinked rapidly.

"I feel...strange..." he frowned, before his eyes widened. "Shelby, I'm so sorry!" he rushed over to her, taking her hands.

"Aw, so sweet," Teddie giggled.

"It's fine, not your fault," Shelby sighed. "But if you ever do it again..." she warned, making him smile.

"There you are!" Poisandra skipped over to Beautycruel with Wrench. "What's the matter honey?" she asked, almost sounding kind. "You look dreadful!" she said, and Beautycruel wailed. Poisandra gasped, looking down at the platter on the ground. "My magic make-up's been destroyed!" she shrieked.

"That means the love spell...!" Wrench gasped.

"Is over!" Jeremy shouted. "It's Morphin' Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"UNLEASH THE POWER!"

"Power Rangers..."

"Dino Super Charge!" Cassie's eyes widened as she stared at the Morphed group.

"No way..." she whispered. "Teddie...and Jeremy? They're both Rangers?" she gasped.

"Vivix, rise!" Wrench yelled.

"Get them!" Poisandra shrieked, and the fight broke out.

"T-Rex Super Charge, activate!" Tyler called on his Battilizer, summoning Shelby and Koda's Zord's weapons to fight.

"So what's got you so bummed out JJ?" Teddie called as she kicked Wrench backwards.

"Cassie saw me with Beautycruel," he complained.

"Ouch," Teddie grimaced sympathetically.

"Yeah," Jeremy grumbled. "So let's just finish this so I can wallow in self pity!" with a powerful kick, he tossed Wrench across the square.

"Jeremy, mate," Teddie put a hand on his arm. "No wallowing. We'll sort this. Remember, positive emotions," she smiled, and he nodded.

"You're right. Thanks Ted," he smiled thankfully, knowing she was right. The darkness was fading, but was taking a little while to completely shift from his system. They looked around as Tyler finished off Beautycruel with a powerful finishing move, but before they could celebrate, she reappeared, towering over them.

"Talk about a big makeover!" she laughed as she stood with two Vivizords.

"This isn't good," Tyler gulped, and Jeremy walked forwards.

"You kidding? You got a new Zord to your arsenal, remember?" he grinned, twirling a Charger between his fingers. "Dino Charger, ready! Summon Zord!" there was a roar, and the Titano Zord appeared, heading towards the fight and blasting Beautycruel away from them. It then changed forms into the Titano Charge Megazord, and the Rangers landed inside, summoning the Dino Super Drive. "Dino Super Drive, activate!"

"Incredible, it's so powerful," Philip commented as he looked around the cockpit.

"This Megazord kicked all out butts before," Olivia remembered when Arcanon and Singe had used it and had easily defeated their Megazords.

"Then just imagine what it can do on the right side," Jeremy laughed, and with a powerful blast of energy, they destroyed the Vivizords around them, before they were attacked by two Spikeballs.

"Oh, maybe we could do with a little more firepower," Teddie commented as they were shoved back.

"Shall we, Shelby?" Ivan glanced to the Pink Ranger, who nodded.

"Dino Charger, ready!"

"Activate Ptera Charge Megazord, Tricera Formation!" they leapt into the other Megazord, standing with the Titano.

"You're getting less cute by the second!" Beautycruel growled at them.

"Can't she take a hint?" Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Tricera Zord, Power Drill!" the Ptera Charge Megazord shot past Beautycruel, cutting across her and making the monster shriek.

"Let's finish this!" Jeremy shouted. "Dino Super Drive Sabre, activate!" he held up the sabre.

"Titano Zord, Colossal Crush! Final Strike!" with the massive axe, the Rangers slashed Beautycruel, and she screamed, collapsing as she was destroyed, followed by the two Spikeballs.

"Monster extinct!"

* * *

Walking through the café as he continued working, Jeremy wondered if Cassie would ever call him back. He doubted it. She'd really seemed upset.

He stopped, blue eyes going wide as Cassie sat in a booth, flicking through her phone.

"Cassie..." he murmured, and she looked up.

"Hey," her voice was quiet, but she didn't seem too mad.

"Cassie, I'm so sorry," Jeremy took a seat. "What you saw out there in the park, it wasn't what it looked like," he told her. She arched an eyebrow, and tilted her head.

"What was it then?" she asked him.

"I..." Jeremy trailed off, dropping his gaze. "I can't tell you," he admitted quietly. "And I can't give you a reason why I can't tell you either. This whole thing is ridiculous," he grumbled. "I'm sorry Cassie," he went to stand, but she caught his hand.

"You said sorry already. A lot. Didn't Teddie tell you to focus on the positive emotions?" she grinned at him, and Jeremy froze. That had been what his friend had told him during the fight.

"You...you..." Jeremy gaped. "You _know_?" he whispered.

"I followed you to shout at you," Cassie shrugged, looking unapologetic, keeping a hold on his hand. "Then I heard what you said, and saw you change," she told him. Jeremy couldn't help but laugh.

"I can't believe this. I'm a Ranger for all of three days, and you find out," he sighed, laughing still before looking up. "You know you have to keep this secret right? Nobody can know. You're at risk for knowing," he warned her.

"Jeremy, I want to get to know you. And if this is the price I have to pay for it, I don't mind," Cassie told him with a smile. Jeremy smiled back, squeezing her hand.

"Okay," he nodded. "So...since that's kinda cleared up...would you like to go for dinner?" he asked, and Cassie's smile grew.

"Of course," she nodded, and he grinned, standing with her. "So, Teddie and her brother, and all the others who work here, they're Rangers too?" she asked as they walked out.

"Yeah," Jeremy nodded.

"Okay..." Cassie nodded, but paused. "I have to ask. Was that really the Prince of Zandar too?" she asked, and he laughed.

"Yeah, I found that very weird too," he told her, leading her out of the café.

* * *

 **So Cassie knows now! And the Rangers have the Titano Zord on their side.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	17. Freaky Frightday

**Now this was a very fun chapter to write, especially taking my own spin on things with it.**

 **Hope you like it!  
**

* * *

Chapter 17: Freaky Frightday

Hitting the ground, Olivia sighed heavily, not moving and looking up at the ceiling.

"You okay Oli?" Teddie asked, offering her a hand.

"Fine," the Forest Ranger took it, pulled to her feet. "I thought I was getting better," she grumbled, and Teddie tilted her head.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused. "You are getting better," Teddie said, but Olivia shrugged, walking off as Teddie watched her.

"Uh oh, that didn't seem too good," Jeremy commented, looking up from his phone. Teddie angled her head to him.

"What, you were paying attention? I thought you'd be too busy texting your _girlfriend_ ," she told him.

"Whoa, jealous much?" Jeremy bit back, and Ivan glanced up.

"Of her or you?" Teddie retorted as Ivan watched Teddie warily.

" _Oh_ , do I need to be keeping an eye out that you'll try to steal my girlfriend?" Jeremy challenged her, and Teddie smirked back as he walked towards her, sliding his phone into his pocket.

"I wouldn't try. I'd succeed," Teddie grinned, and the two began sparring.

"I think Jeremy's a good addition to the team," Olivia stood beside Ivan, watching the two as she pressed an ice pack to her shoulder. "Even if he's just as overpowered as the rest of them," she muttered.

"Lady Olivia, you're not doubting your abilities, are you?" Ivan asked her with an arched eyebrow.

"Don't you, when you see Tyler throw boulders like they're pebbles? Or when you see Teddie and Chase fight? Or Jeremy?" Olivia looked up at him with an arched eyebrow. "They've got it easy. The rest of us have to work hard," she complained, walking away before Ivan could speak.

"Oh my..." he murmured, worried about the Forest Ranger who'd never been very confident. As he watched Jeremy dominate the fight against Teddie, however, he had to agree about one thing. Jeremy was a great person to have on the team.

Teddie laughed, despite losing quite obviously, and Ivan couldn't help but smile. He'd been worried about her, knowing she had a bad habit of bottling up her emotions. They'd all tiptoed around her for some time, but Jeremy did no such thing. Ivan wasn't sure if the Silver Ranger knew about Teddie and Heckyl, but he treated Teddie just like the others, teasing her for being single while she threatened to steal Cassie.

Hearing the alarm blare, they looked around.

"Several alien bio signs in town," Kendall called over.

"We'll head out now," Teddie nodded to her, and the three hurried out.

* * *

In town, three aliens stood around, with two arguing as the third just watched.

"I'll attack first!" Game Face argued with the alien shaped like a chalkboard.

"I'm the teacher, I will!" he argued back.

"Decide quickly!" Nightmare bleated. "Here come the Rangers!" he warned.

"That's Game Face and Nightmare," Tyler recognised the two monsters from their past battles.

"And a walking chalkboard," Chase scoffed.

"I'll show you a walking chalkboard!" Professor Strickler held out what looked like a chalk duster. Before they could react, he'd turned it, and Olivia and Teddie let out cries, before stumbling backwards as Teddie seemed to glow green, and Olivia glowed white. "Next!" he laughed, and Koda and Chase let out cries as they followed suit.

"What are you doing?" Tyler went to move, only for the chalkboard to turn to him, and did the same again with him and Shelby.

"Wait...what?" Teddie frowned, and turned, her eyes widening. "Me? But I'm me!" she shouted. The White Ranger beside her looked at her, and yelped.

"And I'm me! Teddie?" Olivia gasped.

"Shelby?" Tyler asked the Red Ranger uncertainly.

"What the hell?!" Shelby shrieked, looking down at the Red Ranger's body that she was inhabiting.

"Me in Chase body?" Koda asked as he put his hands to his head.

"I'm in _Koda's_ body?!" Chase yelled.

"Well that's just strange," Philip commented.

"We have to stop him!" Jeremy shouted, before Professor Strickler laughed and turned to them, swapping the two as well. "Well...this is definitely weird," he looked to his own body as Philip looked at his hands.

"I have to agree with you," he nodded as Strickler laughed and swapped Ivan and Riley.

"They're all confused!" Nightmare bleated with laughter, and the three monsters rushed them, attacking.

"Whoa!" Tyler gasped, rolling forwards and punching Game Face, only shoving him back a step or two. "Oh man, my strength, Shelby!" he turned to the girl in his body, who punched Nightmare, and threw him back while knocking herself back as well.

"What the hell?!" she cried from the ground. Nearby, Olivia let out a yelp, and a small explosion tossed her, Teddie and Koda to the ground.

"I have your _powers_?" Olivia demanded.

"That's not good," Teddie gulped.

"Come on guys!" Tyler yelled, getting back up. "We can handle these guys!" he shouted.

"That _is_ Tyler, right?" Chase asked, getting to his feet as he watched what seemed like Shelby, who was standing in a stance more like Tyler.

"Yes!" he huffed.

"Come on guys, let's just get this done," Jeremy called over.

"Indeed! Let's go, Sir Riley!" Ivan called, though it felt odd to be saying it to himself. The two ran at the monsters with their swords drawn. "Dino Sabre Power Slash!" using Riley's sabre, Ivan cut down Strickler.

"Perhaps this will work! Titano Sabre!" Philip grabbed Jeremy's sword and cut through Game Face, making the sports-themed monster shriek in pain.

"I finally get to try this!" Riley laughed, lifting Ivan's sabre as gold lightning bounced off it. "Lightning Strike!" he swung down and Nightmare screamed as the power hit him and tossed him to the ground with the others.

"Awesome!" Tyler cheered.

"You're not bad with a sword," Jeremy nodded to Philip.

"Good job," Shelby smiled as the three monsters got back up.

"Even with switched bodies, they're too strong!" Strickler complained.

"Come on! Let's get outta here!" Nightmare bleated, and the three bowed.

"Class dismissed!" they shouted, and vanished in a flash of light.

"Curses, they got away," Ivan frowned.

"And now we're stuck in each other's bodies," Riley looked at the Gold suit he wore.

"Great," Teddie groaned.

* * *

"Well...this is different," Philip commented as he looked in the mirror, finding Jeremy staring back at him.

"That's putting it lightly," he looked up, unable to stop himself from jumping as he saw himself leaning against the wall, arms folded. "I literally just got my body back to myself," Jeremy complained.

"This sucks! At least you guys are still _guys_!" Tyler stomped, scowling at the pair.

"Huh, you _sure_ you're Tyler?" Jeremy smirked.

"Not funny!" Shelby shouted over, glowering at them.

"I think it's funnier seeing Philip look like that," Teddie giggled, gesturing to Jeremy. The others couldn't help but laugh as Philip blushed, seeing the smirk on his face.

"It's weird," Arianna complained, sitting as far away from Jeremy and Philip as she could.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm changing," Chase got up, shaking his head and grabbing Koda, who was just about to eat.

"Perfect. I don't know how you stand such tight jeans Shelby," Tyler grumbled. "I gotta go change," he turned and left with Koda and Chase without realising what he was about to do.

"Hey, you can't!" Shelby panicked, following him out.

"I think a change of clothes would be wise for everyone," Kendall nodded.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind wearing my own-" Olivia lifted her hand, and flinched as the light flickered to life and scorched the table. " _Really_?" she huffed, and Teddie laughed, patting her shoulder.

"Come on, we'll get changed and I'll help you with that," she guided her friend away, and Kendall sighed.

"Gotta admit, it's been a while since I've seen body switching happen," Ari chuckled as she walked over to the scientist.

"You've dealt with it before?" Kendall asked, surprised.

"Once. It was just as funny, except for me being in Zoe's body..." Ari shivered.

"What happened?" Kendall asked, curiously.

"Her boyfriend tried to kiss me," the horror in Ari's voice made Arianna laugh and Kendall couldn't help but smile. "I was 15! It was a little scarring," she complained, and sighed. "I'm going to go help Tyler and Shelby, she won't really be able to wear any of her clothes, unlike the rest of them," she realised, walking away.

* * *

"I don't get how you do this," Olivia complained as Teddie cleaned the soot mark off the wall.

"I didn't at first either, trust me," she told her, walking back over. Olivia avoided her gaze, finding it too strange to look at herself. "You just need to keep focused. Draw the power out from in you, kinda like you would with your magic," Teddie instructed, and Olivia took a breath, holding up her hand. She felt warmth travel up from her body through her arm, gathering in her hand, and she looked down as the energy-ball lit up.

"I did it," she stared at it.

"Keep focused," Teddie warned as it flickered. "And then just throw it like you would a ball," she instructed. Olivia did so, and it hit the wall, exploding. "Nice one!" Teddie high-fived her, ad Olivia laughed, before it died quickly.

"Ted, I'm sorry," she looked up at Teddie, who tilted her head. "I thought you guys had it so easy. I didn't realise..."

"Well, we make it look easy," Olivia couldn't help but laugh as Teddie grinned confidently, before putting a hand on her arm. "Trust me, it took a while to get used to it. But I get where you're coming from. We have all these powers that help us fight, but don't think that because you don't, means that you have to work twice as hard. You're great as you are," she told her with a smile. Olivia blushed.

"Thanks," she smiled back.

"Look at me go, Chase!" Koda cheered through a mouthful of food. They looked around to see Chase skateboarding around in Koda's body, getting used to the difference.

"Slow down there mate," Chase saw the fourth burger in Koda's hands. "I worked hard to get that body," he told the caveman, who blinked up at him innocently. "I don't think Oli would appreciate-"

"Dude. Sister in your girlfriend's body. For the _fourth_ time," Teddie groaned as Koda's hands landed on her shoulders.

"Why do I keep forgetting?!" her brother yelled, storming away.

"I'm so grossed out," Teddie shuddered, making Olivia laugh.

"It seems Tyler and Shelby are getting used to being swapped too," Olivia smirked, glancing over to the pair as they did small exercises to adjust. It was definitely most awkward for the pair, as they not only had to adjust to being swapped, but in a different gendered body. Plus, Shelby was having issues with her newfound super-strength and invisibility. Getting changed had been very difficult.

"Though I gotta admit," Teddie giggled, looking past the pair. "Philip is looking good in JJ's clothes," Olivia couldn't help but giggle as they watched Jeremy practice his Wolf technique.

"I heard that," they looked around at Arianna.

"You agree though, right?" Teddie accused her, and Arianna blushed, looking past her to Jeremy, wearing his silver shirt and jeans.

"I'm just glad he agreed to leave the sunglasses off," Arianna turned away, neither confirming nor denying it.

"I'm kinda glad Philip was a bit more casual this visit. Jeremy in a suit would just be _weird_ ," Teddie said, moving onto the Prince who was practising sword moves, learning from Riley and Ivan, who were very much suited to each other's weapons.

"Chase just looks weird," Olivia decided, looking at where Koda sat eating.

"Koda is really putting away those burgers. I wonder how much of his hunger is psychosomatic from being frozen?" Teddie considered as Koda finished what he was eating. "So you're saying you don't find it attractive?" she teased Olivia, who rolled her eyes.

"Ted, come spar with me and stop picking on people," Jeremy called over.

"Yeah, yeah," Teddie rolled her eyes but followed him over to the empty space.

"You okay?" Chase took a seat beside Olivia, and she nodded.

"Just seeing what it's like from the power side," she told him, looking down at her hand. Remembering what Teddie had said, she was able to conjure an orb of light, and extinguished it. "You guys have it a lot harder than I realised," Olivia admitted, and he nudged her.

"Don't worry about it Oli. And we'll be back in our own bodies soon," Chase told her confidently. "Because as funny as it is, hearing Teddie talk with your accent, which is almost as funny as Jeremy and Riley with Zandarian accents," he looked up to where Riley and Ivan were practising. "I don't really like the idea of you being in my sister's body," he grinned, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Trust me, it's weird hearing Koda talk with your accent too," she told him. Chase laughed and stood, stretching.

"Well, I'm going to go stop Koda from ruining my body, before it gets real weird and I try to kiss you," he told her, and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Yes, go away," she told him, and he grinned before going over to Koda to scold him, seeing him about to tuck into yet another burger.

"Any idea on how to reverse this?" Arianna asked as she approached Kendall, who was working at her computer.

"Nothing so far. From what I can tell, the Rangers were swapped with a device that Strickler used," Kendall told her. Shaking her head, Kendall pulled off her glasses. "I think the best way to reverse it is to destroy whatever it is he used," she explained.

"Then that may be our best shot at returning to our normal bodies," Philip approached, and Arianna jolted as he touched her arm. "Sorry!" he jumped back, hands up.

"I think it's safe to say that everyone's good with destroying that thing," Jeremy walked over. He winked at Arianna, who went bright red and immediately ducked behind Riley.

"Jeremy," Teddie warned her friend as Philip glowered at him.

"Sorry, just wanted one more laugh before we kick this guy's butt," Jeremy laughed, backing away.

"And you're going to get your chance," Kendall told them. "Their signals have just shown up again," the Rangers nodded.

"Let's do this," Tyler said, ready to get back to his own body.

* * *

"We switched things up in round one, wait till you see round two!" Nightmare laughed as the Rangers walked towards the three, already Morphed.

"Challenge accepted!" Ivan called.

"Which Ranger is which again?" Game Face asked, confused.

"Your tricks won't work on us!" Shelby shouted at him, pointing. "We're gonna kick your butts!" she declared.

"Oh? Then time to switch again!" Strickler laughed, lifting his device and changing them.

"Oh come on!" Jeremy shouted as he looked down at Teddie's body.

"Yeah, I don't like this," Teddie scowled, now the Graphite Ranger.

"Uh...me neither," Philip felt very awkward in Olivia's body.

"Did I really have to end up as a guy?" Olivia complained, now as Tyler.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Shelby grumbled.

"They're all confused again!" Nightmare giggled.

"Excellent! Now let's wipe them out!" Strickler shouted, and the three monsters ran at them.

"Guys! Let's use Dino Steel!" Tyler shouted.

"Dino Steel, Armour on!" the six called on their weapons.

"He switched our bodies, so we gotta switch our weapons!" Tyler told his team, who nodded. They all tossed their weapons to their real owners, taking the monsters by surprise.

"They switched the game on us!" Game Face yelled furiously.

"Come on!" Jeremy jumped up and slashed across Stricker's chest, making the alien yell and drop the device.

"I got it!" Shelby dove for it, only for an Energy-Ball to fly out of her hand. It exploded in front of her, knocking the girl back and tossing the eraser through the air.

"Shelby!" Tyler shouted to her as she struggled to get up.

"It's mine!" Game Face yelled.

"Oh no you don't!" Riley jumped in the way, but as Game Face shoved at him, the air shimmered and the eraser bounced off a shield. "Oops!" he gulped.

"Enough of this!" Teddie threw out her hands, chanting in a different language. Vines burst out of the ground, knocking the monsters aside. "Ty, now!" she called.

"Right! T-Rex Smash!" with a powerful punch, Tyler destroyed the eraser. Everyone immediately felt the same yanking sensation, before finding themselves back in the right body.

"This is like a nightmare!" the sheep-like alien gasped.

"It broke the spell," Riley smiled as he looked down at his own body.

"Thank goodness for that," Philip nodded.

"Awesome! We got our bodies back!" Tyler cheered. The three monsters rushed back together, suddenly very nervous.

"Let's finish these idiots off," Jeremy called, lifting his sword.

"Teach them a lesson, Professor!" Nightmare shoved the chalkboard forwards.

"Titano Sabre, Final Strike!" Jeremy rushed him, cutting through him and making Strickler scream. As Jeremy landed behind him, he fell forwards and exploded.

"Professor Strickler! No!" Game Face shrieked.

"Activate! T-Rex Super Charge, ready!" Tyler called on his Battilizer, and the Rangers stood together.

"Together! Dinosaur might..."

"Ready to fight!"

"Combine!" Tyler yelled as they put the two Chargers together. Game Face and Nightmare shrieked in alarm.

"T-Rex Super Charge, Victory Maximum Final Strike!" the powerful move cut through the two monsters, destroying them. A moment later, the three returned, growing much larger.

"Back to school, Rangers!" Strickler laughed.

"Summon Zords!" the Rangers called on their Zords, standing together.

' _Rangers, I've been working on a new Megazord formation_ ,' Kendall contacted them. ' _It needs the first six Zords, plus Titano, to form the Dino Charge Ultrazord_!" she told them.

"That's gonna be awesome!" Tyler cheered. "Come on guys!"

"Yeah!" the Rangers swapped from their Megazords, allowing the Titano Charge Megazord to combine with the five.

"This is so cool," Teddie laughed as they looked at the Megazord.

"Dino Charger, ready!" Ivan activated the Super Charge sabre. "Let us defeat these scoundrels!" he called.

"The Terrible Three, are about to become the Terrible Zero!" Tyler grinned.

"Lame!" Olivia called.

"You can do it! I taught you well!" Strickler turned to Nightmare.

"Just don't lose your head!" Game Face called as he lifted his basketball head and stood behind the other two monsters. However, with a powerful jab, the Ultrazord knocked Nightmare backwards, and he fell into Strickler, and the two toppled into Game Face, so the three tripped and fell to the ground.

"It's our turn to teach them a lesson!" Ivan declared.

"Titano Cannon!" the Rangers yelled, calling on the power of all their Zords.

"Oh no!" the three monsters got back to their feet to see the cannon aimed at them.

"Dino Super Drive Sabre!"

"Titano Cannon, Final Strike!" energy burst from the cannon, slamming into the three and destroying them.

* * *

"Ms. Morgan, you've really outdone yourself with that Ultrazord," Teddie complimented as the Rangers returned to base.

"Indeed," Ivan agreed.

"And we're all back in our own bodies," Riley grinned.

"I'm so glad. One more minute as Tyler and I'd have lost my mind," Shelby complained.

"Hey!" Tyler looked down at the girl he had his arm around. "It's not that bad being me!" he defended, and she frowned up at him.

"Not only are these clothes _uncomfortable_ , but having to be super careful all the time to not break anything? Not fun," she argued, making him grin.

"I can't help it," Tyler reminded her, kissing the side of her head as Shelby huffed, non the better for the experience.

"At least it's over now," Chase grinned, his arms around Olivia. He kissed her, and Teddie rolled her eyes as she walked away.

"I still need like three showers and maybe some mind bleach to forget that I was Oli for a while," she shivered at the thought. She then looked to Kendall, who hadn't responded as she seemed deep in thought. "Ms. Morgan?" Teddie called, but the Purple Ranger didn't respond. "Kendall!" Teddie spoke louder, this time earning her attention. Kendall glowered at her for the use of her first name.

"Are you okay?" Arianna asked, not moving out of Philip's arms. She'd been very relieved when the Rangers had returned themselves, even if they were still in each other's clothes.

"I...I'm not sure," they all turned their attention to Kendall as she spoke. "The Split Emitters. I completely forgot about retrieving them," she admitted.

"You mean the things that split Kerberos and me apart," Jeremy remembered, and she nodded.

"Yeah...I went to get them, but...they were gone," Kendall confessed, and they stared at her in confusion.

"You said that the power they'd use to split them apart would burn them out," Riley remembered with a frown. "They'd be useless," he pointed out.

"I hope so. But if that's the case...why would anyone take them?" Kendall asked, and they all fell silent, unsure.

* * *

 **So they finally remembered about the Split Emitters too.**

 **Again, this was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Please review!**


	18. Worgworld

**So I've only really got about a chapter and a half left to write, which I intend on getting done before heading off on holiday on Thursday. So I thought another update wouldn't hurt.  
**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Worgworld

Singing to herself as she practised her guitar, Teddie kept to the side of the base, getting in her practice before her shift started up in the café.

"I really hope they just completely ignore us," she slowed and stopped as she heard Spencer talking with Ari nearby.

"Me too. Lord Arcanon and the Dark Energem are all the bad we can handle right now," Ari agreed with her son, who had come back to visit, but with news, it seemed.

"What's up?" Teddie asked curiously, setting down her guitar and approaching the two.

"Hopefully nothing. But then again, we said that about Sledge, and here we are," Spencer gave a wry smile. Teddie tilted her head, sitting with them. "We're getting word that this guy Galvanax is in the galaxy," Teddie frowned.

"Never heard of him," she said, and Spencer laughed.

"Good. He's the so called 'Champion' of a show called Galaxy Warriors, which coincidentally he owns. The show is banned in multiple galaxies, including ours," Spencer told her.

"He came to Earth almost ten years ago, looking for something," Ari continued for him, her arms folded. "I don't know what it was, but he's responsible for the disappearance of Dane Romero, a teacher at the Fire Academy, and his family," Teddie's eyes widened at Ari's words.

"What? How'd I never know about that?" she questioned.

"It was after you went to New Zealand, and Melody didn't tell me at first," Ari explained, looking irritated at the idea. "She knew I was focused on finding Mack, so she didn't want the added stress of helping to find a Ninja who might not have even survived his encounter with Galvanax," she sighed.

"And now Galvanax is coming back?" Teddie realised. "Why? Do you think he's after the Energems too?" she asked.

"I doubt it," Spencer admitted. "But SPD are keeping an eye on him as best we can," he sighed.

"Why doesn't that sound promising?" Teddie frowned.

"Because he has an alliance with the Lion Galaxy, and SPD are on unsteady terms with their Royal Family," Spencer explained with a tired sigh. "Believe me, we're trying to keep him away, but if he wants, he will come here. So just...be warned," he told her, and Teddie gave a small laugh.

"Great," she shook her head. "Just what we need," she grumbled, checking her watch. "I gotta head upstairs," Teddie stood, smoothing down her white dress, and grabbed her jacket, heading out.

"Maybe we shouldn't have told her," Spencer worried.

"Your sister is stronger than you think, Spence," Ari told him as she turned back to the computer. "So don't worry about her," he frowned.

"Easier said than done," he said, making Ari smile in amusement.

* * *

"Your every wish is my command," Ivan smiled as he took the order of two girls, who giggled and watched him walk past. Teddie shook her head with an amused smile, writing down an order too.

"Can we get two chocolate milkshakes with that too, please?" the couple ordered.

"Sure thing. I'll get that to you right away," Teddie smiled, walking back into the kitchen and pausing. "Hold on a second," she frowned suspiciously at the figure working the grill.

"Right, and a tuna melt on rye," Ivan called as he walked in, reading off an order. When Koda suddenly stood up, Ivan screamed, jumping back. "What?!" he demanded.

"Koda, isn't Worg supposed to be out on display at the front of the museum?" Teddie questioned, looking from Koda, to the robotic caveman now dressed like Koda.

"Worg like cooking," Koda smiled.

"Yes, well _Worg_ almost gave me a heart attack!" Ivan said sternly.

"Shh!" Koda immediately hushed him. "Not say attack," he warned, before realising what he'd done. Worg immediately straightened up.

" _Worg Attack_!" the robot dropped the cooking utensils and grabbed the tomatoes in the crate beside him, starting to throw them. He pulled his hand back, hitting Koda across the head. Dazed the Blue Ranger fell to the ground, and the headset that controlled Worg skidded across the floor.

"Oh come on!" Teddie dropped to the ground to avoid the flying tomatoes. "This is why I was against the robot in the first place! Don't you remember the last one!" she complained as people in the café let out cries of alarm, including Tyler and Arianna. Walking in to see what the commotion was, Spencer and Kendall looked around, before the Gold SPD Ranger barely managed to push Kendall out of the way of a tomato, which hit him in the face.

"Well..that could have been more smooth," he sighed.

"Worg, turn off!" Koda managed to power down the robot, getting to his feet as blood trickled from his nose from the hit.

" _Koda_ ," Kendall growled as she and Spencer walked in. Spencer pulled off his glasses, and bits of tomato fell from his face as he cleaned them on his shirt. "Put. Worg. In. Storage," she spoke slowly, her fury making her words shake. Koda looked down, upset as Kendall stormed off.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Teddie patted his shoulder, before turning and walking out to help clean up the mess in the café. She pulled her earphones from her pockets as she grabbed the mop, listening to her music as she mopped up, before a shiver ran down her spine. "Wh...what?" she frowned, looking up. Teddie let out a yelp, jumping back as a guy grabbed for her. Reacting instinctively, she kicked him back, and he toppled into a group of people who were groaning, ambling towards her.

In the kitchen, Koda was having the same problem; still wearing Worg's headset as he dodged the people grabbing for him. People came in from all entrances to the kitchen, and he leapt over the counter quickly, grabbing Teddie's arm and pulling her away from the others.

"What's going on?" Teddie called over her music, seeing the black across the eyes of the people around them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Chase skated in, wearing his headphones as the two backed up. "Whoa, what happened to them? Chase questioned, pulling his headphones off. "And that music, it's..." Chase slumped over.

"Chase!" Teddie yelled, but her brother whirled around to reveal he was just like the others. "Koda, keep these on!" she shouted to the terrified Blue Ranger beside her, who nodded as she turned up the music on her phone to be safe. "Come on!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the museum.

"Shelby, Tyler!" Koda gasped as they stopped outside to see a large group of people stumbling towards them.

"Riley!" Teddie saw the Green Ranger with them. "They're like Zombies, what is happening?" she whispered as they backed away. "Wait, those two creeps! They're doing it!" Teddie spotted two figures; one in black waving a conductor's cane, and the other in white playing the trumpet.

Whirling around, they saw Chase and Ivan following them. Koda grabbed Ivan's hands and forced him to cover his ears, as Teddie grabbed Chase's headphones and forced them back onto his head.

"Cover their ears!" Teddie yelled to the others as Olivia stumbled out of the museum.

"I get Shelby! No hurt them!" Koda pleaded. The others split up, grabbing their friends and forcing them to cover their ears. Ivan struggled against Tyler, trying to keep his own ears covered, until Teddie and Koda reached him and helped him. The rest of the zombies surrounded them, and Chase, Teddie and Koda shoved their way free, and Chase kicked the trumpet from the hands of the alien.

"Got it!" Teddie caught it, and the people returned to normal, wondering what they were doing. As soon as they saw the two aliens, they took off screaming.

"They broke our spell!" Conductro gasped. "Our Zombies are leaving!" he wailed, stumbling backwards.

"But we not going anywhere!" Koda growled. "It Morphin' Time! Dino Chargers!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the Rangers Morphed quickly.

"Vivix, rise!" Conductro summoned the monsters, and the fighting broke out in front of the museum. "My trumpet!" Conductro and Screech ran at them.

"Riley, catch!" Koda tossed it to the Green Ranger and away from the caped musicians.

"Chase!" Riley tossed it to the Black Ranger, only for Conductro to intercept.

"Time for an intermission!" he laughed.

"Koda, are you okay?" Olivia asked as they helped the caveman back to his feet.

"Yes, but we must get trumpet!" he shouted, but the two were long gone.

"They'll be back..." Tyler growled.

* * *

"Gather round everyone," Kendall called, and the Rangers stood around her computer curiously. "Listen to this," she started playing the sound of the trumpet, and they all flinched, automatically covering their ears. "It's okay," she told them.

"It won't turn you into zombies, it's okay," Spencer soothed. "Kendall filtered out the brainwashing aspect," he explained.

"Why didn't Koda and Teddie get affected by it?" Tyler asked, looking to the Blue and White Rangers.

"The headset that controls Worg just happens to transmit at the same frequency," Kendall answered. Koda looked down curiously at the headset in his hands.

"And my earphones blocked out everything thanks to my music," Teddie told them.

"Same with my headphones," Chase nodded.

"You guys got real lucky," Jeremy commented, his arms folded as he looked from one to the other.

"We need to construct a new headset like Koda's before they return!" Ivan suggested with a smile. "Correct? Then at least we can hear each other," he pointed out.

"Well, now that I can help with," Spencer nodded. "But it'll take a bit of time. Rest up guys," he told the team.

* * *

Teddie woke up with a gasp, sitting up straight as sweat soaked through her pyjamas. A dark laugh echoed through the memory of her dream.

"Dammit..." she whispered, shaking from the adrenaline of her nightmare. She jumped as Arianna took her hand, looking worried.

"Teddie..." Arianna brushed Teddie's hair from her face, looking worried. "You've been plagued with nightmares lately. What is going on?" she asked gently.

"I don't know," Teddie admitted in a soft voice, still shaking. "It's always the same. Darkness, and laughter," she whispered.

"The Dark Energem again?" Arianna tilted her head.

"I don't know. The dreams haven't been the same since the first night," Teddie shook her head, still looking down. Hearing a knock at the door, they looked up to see Ari leaning in the doorway.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked gently. Teddie sighed, and Ari walked in, taking a seat on the bed with the two. Teddie put a hand to her chest, scratching where the three scars lay.

"I've been having nightmares, ever since Jeremy joined the team. I think of the Dark Energem," Teddie admitted. Ari watched her scratch, and frowned a little.

"Do you think you've been worrying about Arcanon and the Dark Energem a lot?" she asked.

"Not more than the rest of the monsters," Teddie shook her head, her eyes shimmering in the poor light. "These dreams...they're so real," she whispered.

"You also dreamt that Jeremy was in trouble, when Kerberos tried to reunite with him," she looked up at Ari. "It could be that you're like Spencer," she considered.

"You mean, a psychic?" Teddie asked her, sounding scared.

"But aren't Spencer's visions clear?" Arianna asked, squeezing Teddie's hand. Ari noticed the action, and smiled. It was sweet, how close the two were.

"Honestly, I've no clue," Ari admitted with a shrug. "I could call your grandfather, if you want?" she offered.

"No, I'm okay," Teddie shook her head, wiping the tears still lingering in her eyes. "I just...want to sleep right now," she sighed, and Ari nodded, hugging her.

"Okay. But if you need to talk, I'm only down the hall," Ari told her, and she nodded. Ari then stood, and left them to it, wondering just what was going on now.

* * *

Spencer snored loudly, slumped over the table in a not very dignified manner, as Kendall looked over the headsets on the console.

"I can't believe it. They're identical in every way," Shelby said as she lifted a pair.

"Spencer spent most of the night duplicating them," Kendall told them, glancing over to the snoring young man.

"So how do they work?" Chase asked as he approached. All of them looked tired, not having slept very well.

"They'll filter out the evil music, but still allow you to communicate," Kendall explained, also exhausted. While Spencer had duplicated them, she'd been the one to ensure they'd work during the fight.

"Great," Tyler nodded with a small smile, before the alarm blared. Spencer woke with a snort, wiping drool from his mouth.

"Looks like we're out of time. The evil music is being played down town," Kendall frowned, double-checking to see if that was right. Her eyes widened. "It's being heard over the whole city!" she gasped.

"Lord Arcanon has probably realised by now," Spencer stood up, slipping his glasses back on. "That Rangers won't harm innocent people. He's using the residents of the city as a shield against you," he yawned.

"Okay, then we better get out there and stop them," Tyler told the team, who nodded.

* * *

Running out of the museum, the Rangers heard the awful trumpet music that echoed through the city, and the civilians stumbled around as mindless zombies.

"Oh man, Arcanon knew what he was doing when he brainwashed the city," Jeremy groaned. "We can't hurt them," he reminded the others, who nodded.

"Come on!" Tyler yelled. The Rangers ran through town, finding zombies wherever they went.

"They're being told to aim for us! This _sucks_ ," Teddie groaned as they were forced to go another way to try and reach the source of the chaos.

"We're getting closer," Tyler led the way down an alleyway, following the source through his Dino Com.

"Whoa," Jeremy stopped him as they ran straight into a crowd of zombies.

"Over here," Riley led them over to hide behind a dumpster.

"The source of the music is just past those zombies," Tyler warned the Rangers.

"Yeah, we have to get through them," Chase peered over the dumpster.

"But we can't hurt them," Shelby reminded them.

"What we do?" Koda gulped.

"A distraction might help," Olivia suggested, and Koda's eyes lit up.

"I know who can help! Wait!" he told them, and jumped out, taking them by surprise.

"Koda!" Teddie called, but Koda ran off, pulling up the antennae on his headset.

"We're gonna have to fight them," Jeremy said as he peered out at the zombies ambling towards them.

"No way! They're just innocent people!" Olivia shook her head quickly. "Guys, don't you have a way to, y'know, incapacitate them?" she asked nervously, turning to Chase and Teddie.

"We could try, but I'm not sure how well it'll work against such a big group," Chase nodded, and the two got up, standing in front of the crowd. However, before they could do anything, a figure stood on a car nearby.

"What's Koda doing?" Shelby frowned.

"That not me," she jumped as the Blue Ranger stood beside her. "That Worg," he smiled as the zombies all turned, confused. "Worg, run," Koda ordered as the zombies began to follow the robot. "Come on," Koda then led the Rangers out of the way, and Worg sprinted past, followed by the zombies.

"That was awesome Koda!" Teddie cheered.

"Worg saves the day," Chase grinned, knowing how attached Koda had gotten to the robotic caveman. They turned around, and their eyes widened.

"Vivix," Tyler frowned as the footsoldiers blocked their path.

"Now, we fight," Koda frowned as Chase sighed. "It's Morphin' Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the Rangers Morphed and fought off the Vivix. Their headsets continued to protect them, as the music blared loudly.

"Guys, go on ahead! We can handle these losers!" Teddie shouted.

"Shelby, Jeremy, come on!" Tyler called to the Pink and Silver Rangers. They pushed aside the Vivix and followed the Red Ranger away.

"No sweat!" Jeremy nodded.

"Right behind you!" Shelby said as they ran around the corner, and the music grew louder. "In here!" Shelby spotted a record being played on a gramophone, and Conductro and Screech stood beside it.

"Hold it right there, you composers of cruelty!" Tyler shouted as they lifted their blasters.

"Quiet in the cheap seats!" Conductro snapped at them, turning up the volume.

"We need to trash that thing, it's what's amping up the volume," Jeremy told them.

"Mind if we join you?" Chase called as the others reached them, carrying their Dino Steel weapons.

"The more the merrier!" Tyler nodded with a grin.

"Let's mute these musicians!" Shelby smiled.

"Dino Steel, Armour On!"

"Let's finish this! Dino Charger Ready! Weapons combine!" the Rangers combined their weapons to form the Dino Spike.

"Red Ranger launch!"

"Dino Spike! Final Strike!" Tyler flew towards the gramophone, however, with a wave of his cane, Conductro blocked the attack and blasted Tyler back. "He stopped the Dino Spike?!" the Red Ranger gasped.

"He's so strong," Teddie gulped.

"Okay, then let's see what he does with my Titano Sabre," Jeremy stepped forwards, lifting his sabre. "I'm sick of this song. No good beat to it at all," he complained.

"Let's go!" Tyler laughed, and the Rangers rushed the two aliens, distracting them so Jeremy could slip past.

"You're an insult to musicians!" he shouted, raising his sabre.

"No!" Conductro shrieked. The Silver Ranger slashed down, cutting through the gramophone and causing it to explode.

"And for good measure," Jeremy lifted the record, and snapped it in half. "Oh, that was a _nice_ break," he sighed happily.

"Great work Jeremy!" Tyler laughed.

"Uh, guys! The monsters ran off," Teddie warned.

"Foolish Rangers!" their eyes widened and they looked around to see Lord Arcanon approach. Conductro and Screech stood behind him. "You think you've won? Hah! I have you right where I wanted you all along!" Arcanon declared. He opened his book, and the light of the Dark Energem spilled out. Jeremy swallowed, and Teddie took a step back as the dark energy filled the air.

"The Dark Energem..." Jeremy whispered, and Arcanon lifted the gemstone.

"Transform me with your power!" he yelled as he lifted it into the air.

"No!" Jeremy yelled in horror as the darkness wrapped around Arcanon, making him laugh.

"Oh yes, Jeremy! You might fear it's power, but I _embrace_ it! Now you will experience it's true purpose! There is no way of stopping me!" Arcanon roared. "And soon, your Energems will be mine!" he declared with a loud laugh.

"No...no it was him," Teddie took another step back as she remembered the first nightmare that had haunted her.

"Teddie?" Chase looked to her as she struggled to keep her breathing equal.

"Be careful guys!" Tyler warned as the darkness spread through Arcanon. He laughed as he began to change.

"Prepare to witness real power!" he yelled as his face changed. "Rain down, the fires of chaos!" Arcanon threw a hand up, and they looked up as thunder boomed.

"Watch out!" Chase raised a shield that protected the Rangers, but it began to crack. "Guys, move!" he yelled, but the flaming rocks broke through and the group were tossed through the air.

"It's over," Arcanon laughed as they struggled to try and get back up.

"It's not over till we say so!" Ivan pushed himself back to his feet. "Let's finish this fool!" he encouraged his team, who pushed himself back up.

"You got it!" Tyler grinned.

"Fools!" Arcanon scoffed.

"Ptera Super Bolt! Ha!" Ivan threw powerful blasts of energy, dazing the three long enough for Tyler to summon his Battilizer. "Altogether! Ptera Lightning!"

"Titano Blade Slash!"

"T-Rex Super Charge! Victory! Final Strike!" the three moves slammed into Arcanon and his minions, causing a massive explosion. However, when the smoke cleared, the Rangers were horrified to discover the three still standing.

"Nice try!" Arcanon mocked.

"It didn't even leave a dent! What the hell?!" Teddie cried in horror.

"Magna Beam!" Arcanon roared. The light slammed into him, and he grew much larger. "This will be amusing!" he laughed.

"The Dark Energem is giving him so much power," Jeremy murmured, before shaking his head. "Let's hit him with the Ultra Zord," he suggested.

"Great idea," Tyler nodded.

"Summon Zords!" they summoned their Zords, combining to form the Ultra Zord.

"Dino Super Drive Sabre!" the Blue Ranger summoned the blade. "You and your green face going down, Arcanon!" Koda warned him.

"I am unstoppable!" Arcanon declared.

"Your one Energem cannot defeat the power of 12!" Koda shouted. They fired multiple blasts, but they bounced harmlessly off the villain, who just laughed, raising his arms.

"Take this!" Riley tried jabbing him.

"Dino Head Spike!" they bombarded Arcanon with attacks, but it didn't even cause him to move as he continued to laugh.

"Not even a scratch!" he mocked them.

"He's too strong..." Tyler frowned. With a loud laugh, Arcanon threw out a hand, and green tendrils flew out of his palm. They wrapped around the UltraZord, restraining them.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Arcanon told them. Opening his mouth, he let out a roar, and green energy slammed into the Ultrazord. "My victory is now certain!" he announced as the Rangers struggled to remain standing, tossed around.

"You thought that when you had the Silver Energem, Arcanon!" Jeremy stood up straight, glaring defiantly at the man who had held him captive. "And you were wrong then. You're wrong now too!" he yelled.

"Jeremy?" Teddie looked at him in surprise.

"I'm done playing games with this asshole! Let's _end_ this!" he yelled.

"You read my mind," Tyler smiled.

"Yeah! Let's do this!" Shelby nodded.

"Plasma Blast! Dino Super Drive Sabre, activate!" Koda lifted the sword, calling on their combined powers. It started to glow brightly with power. "Dino Super Drive Sabre..."

"Ultra Plasma, Final Blast!" the Rangers roared together. The chest plate on the front of the Ultrazord that showed images of all their dinosaurs began to glow brightly, taking Arcanon by surprise.

"What?!" he gasped, unable to move in time. Powerful energy fired from the Ultrazord, and slammed into him. " _No_!" Arcanon screamed, exploding.

"We did it!" Jeremy laughed, and slumped. "He's gone," he smiled.

"We defeated him!" Teddie bounced up and down.

"Monster extinct," Koda nodded with a happy smile.

* * *

"Man, this is really what I'm choosing to study?" Ryan grumbled to himself as he walked through the forest. In one hand, he carried a notebook, filled with scribbles and studies. "I doubt it's gonna be like mum falling into a sink hole and finding a prehistoric rock. What's this Professor thinking?" Ryan complained as he continued to walk around.

His headphones on, he started to pay attention to the song playing, singing as he wandered through the forest. He tapped his notebook against his side, singing away and not paying attention to much else other than his music, and finding something interesting for his class. While it wasn't a mandatory assignment, Ryan enjoyed his classes, and wanted to find something that would wow the teacher. And since he wasn't exactly able to bring a Dino Gem in, he had to find something else.

Something shone brightly nearby, catching his attention, and Ryan frowned, turning to it completely. Approaching a clearing, he saw a strange rock lying in the middle of the leaves. "No way, I haven't found something already..." he murmured, before something moved, and he looked around quickly.

"Stay away from that!" his eyes widened as a creature that resembled a candle rushed at him. Reacting immediately, Ryan turned on the defensive and let out a scream. To Singe's surprise, the scream carried power and force behind it, slamming him into a tree as Ryan's Ptera power activated. Ryan then faded from view, panicking. "I have to get the Dark Energem for Lord Arcanon!" Singe shrieked, getting back up, trying to back away.

Looking at the stone on the ground, Ryan took a breath, and materialised again, rushing at it. "No!" Singe roared, but it was too late. Ryan's hand wrapped around the Dark Energem, and he stiffened, letting out a scream. The Dark Energem flashed, and it's light spread through Ryan's body.

"What's...happening to me?!" he yelled, dropping his notebook. When the winds faded, the light seemed to fuse with Ryan, who stood tall with his back to Singe, still holding the Dark Energem.

"Let it go!" Singe ran at him, but Ryan turned to him and threw out a hand, blasting him with energy. Singe screamed as the power ripped through him, destroying him. His blaster fell into the grass, and Ryan stumbled, before starting to laugh.

"Now this... _this_ is real power!" he laughed loudly as the air crackled with his power.

"Hand over the Dark Energem, now," he looked around, his laughter fading, as he arched an eyebrow.

"Are you going to make me, old man?" Ryan goaded Arcanon, who staggered, unable to remain standing. However, as Ryan went to finish him off, he stumbled. "No..." he groaned, and fell into the grass as darkness swallowed him up.

"It's mine!" Arcanon stumbled towards it, only for a boot to step on it. "You?!" he choked.

* * *

Teddie let out a scream, her hands lighting up with energy as she was pulled from another nightmare.

"Teddie!" Arianna was up and beside her in an instant, and the door burst open and the rest of the inhabitants of the house flooded in.

"Ted, what is it?" Chase asked quickly, hair messed up from sleep as Teddie put her hands over her head, curled up and rocking as she shook. "Teddie, talk to me, please," her brother pleaded, and she looked up, tears in her eyes.

"I don't know what...but something _far_ worse than Arcanon is coming," she warned, her breathing unstable as Olivia, Ivan, Spencer, Jeremy and Ari exchanged looks, wondering just what Teddie had seen.

* * *

 **So...that happened.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	19. The Rangers Rock

**We're at my favourite episode! Honestly. I love this episode.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

* * *

Chapter 19: The Rangers Rock

" _No_!" Sledge's roar echoed through the clearing. "My beautiful ship! She's still a wreck! How could you not fix her after the crash?" the green alien whose armour had seen better days demanded of Wrench, who took a step back fearfully.

"How could _you_ not tell me you survived?!" Poisandra demanded, turning him to face her. She struck him hard across the face, and stunned by the blow, Sledge tumbled to the ground. The others jerked in surprise, knowing that if it had been any of them, Sledge would have destroyed them. "You better have a good excuse!" she shrieked at him.

"James, over here!" Mack whispered, ducking behind a bush. The Aqua Ranger rushed over, and crouched beside him, peering out.

"Who is that with them?" he wondered, using binoculars to watch the interaction as Poisandra stood over the powerful looking alien on his knees in front of her. After a moment, Poisandra shoved him over again with an upset shriek.

"We need to get closer, hear what they're saying," Mack whispered.

"Mack!" James hissed, but the Red Overdrive Ranger slipped closer, ducking behind a tree. Sighing, James followed him, hiding behind another bush. "I see where Tyler gets it from now," he grumbled, making Mack grin.

"Urgh, can we just get to work?" Snide demanded as Sledge seemed to fall into a memory, singing to himself.

"Wrench!" Sledge turned to the robot, who gulped. "How are the ship's fuel cells?" he asked.

"Oh...we're using all the power we have left to cloak the ship from SPD and the Rangers!" Wrench explained nervously.

"We need to get this ship in the air!" Sledge demanded.

"If we need more power, we've got this," Snide held up the Dark Energem, and both Mack and James hissed.

"Damn, they must have found it after Arcanon was destroyed," James muttered.

"I thought it might have been destroyed in the explosion," Mack whispered back to him as the Energem shone in Snide's clawed hands.

"Good point," Sledge nodded. "And speaking of, how's our new _friend_ doing?" he chuckled.

"Still asleep, Master Sledge," Mack and James started at the name.

" _That's_ Sledge?" Mack gasped.

"I thought he was destroyed when the ship crashed," James glanced to him. Mack shrugged, and both peered back out as Sledge took the Dark Energem, able to hold onto it.

"Finally, our plan is in place, and the Dark Energem is going to make it all possible!" Sledge laughed.

"We need to warn the Rangers," James whispered as the monsters laughed. Mack nodded, and the two slipped away before they were noticed.

* * *

"It's a close one folks, it's coming down to the wire!" Teddie shouted into a spatula, standing with Ivan and Riley.

"Sir Tyler's making a strong showing at this Pavlova eating contest, but Chase is catching up with big kiwi bites!" Ivan declared as he used a sieve as a microphone. Tyler lifted his hand from behind his back and shoved Chase's face entirely into the Pavlova he was devouring, making the Black Ranger groan as it covered his entire face. Tyler started to laugh as Chase looked at him, unable to hide his own laugh.

"They're no match for Jeremy, however, who is inhaling every little bit so fast I don't think he's even chewing!" Teddie directed them to Jeremy, who was almost finished his own plate, covered in cream. "But I think most of it is on his face!" she called.

"But the real threat is Koda, who is eating the cake like a caveman right now!" Riley brought their attention to the final contestant, who was eating the last of his own portion.

"Yes he is," Ivan nodded.

"Oh good grief," they glanced up at Kendall and Spencer, who had walked in to find the group behaving like children.

"I win!" Koda threw his arms up, and cream splattered Ms. Morgan's face and glasses, while hitting Spencer across his hoody.

"First tomatoes, now cream?" Spencer sighed as Koda stared, realising what he had done.

"Your _dad_ found what we've been looking for," Kendall pulled her glasses off and wiped cream from her face as she looked irritated, her attention on Tyler. His eyes widened, his mouth still full of food. "Get cleaned up, and meet us at the base. Prince Philip, James and Mack are on their way," she told them.

"My dad's back!" Tyler cheered with excitement, a mouth still full of food. "My dad's back!" he ran off as the others laughed. Even Kendall and Spencer couldn't help but smile in amusement at his excitement to see his dad.

* * *

"Welcome, Power Rangers," Keeper greeted as the entire team stood in the base together. "Although we have all twelve Energems, we still face a great threat," he warned them.

"And thanks to James and Mack, we finally have an upper hand," Kendall smiled as they all looked to the two.

"We've discovered the monsters' base," James explained. "Their spaceship crashed, but wasn't destroyed. They had it cloaked from any radars," he told them.

"That explains why we couldn't find it, even with SPD's help," Riley folded his arms.

"That's where the Dark Energem will be," Mack told them.

"That's great," Shelby smiled.

"It's not all that great," James warned, looking concerned. "Snide has a new partner...Sledge," their eyes widened, and all of them reacted with fear.

"He _survived_?" Olivia put her hands to her mouth. "Teddie...could this be what you saw in your dream?" she looked to Teddie, and Mack and James frowned as the rest knew what she meant.

"I don't know," Teddie shook her head, looking down. "I can't believe Sledge is still alive," she breathed, shivering at the idea.

"And he working with Snide now? This very bad," Koda spoke up, worried.

"Indeed, we had trouble defeating him before, and now he has the Dark Energem," Philip considered.

"Whatever do we do now?" Ivan wondered as all of them worried.

"I say we hit them with everything we've got," Chase spoke up, determined to put an end to them. "Every Megazord. Destroy the monsters, the spaceship, and the Dark Energem all at once," he suggested. Shelby frowned as most agreed with their second in command, and she looked up, meeting Ari's gaze as the woman didn't look entirely convinced either. Shelby took a breath, and spoke up.

"That might work, but...there's no way to be sure we destroyed the Dark Energem," she reminded them.

"Do you have a plan Shelby?" Jeremy asked her, turning to her. She frowned, thinking about it.

"We sneak onto Sledge's ship, and crush the Dark Energem. A surprise attack," she suggested, taking them by surprise.

"We've been on the ship before," Tyler found himself agreeing with the plan as Kendall looked worried and James frowned a little. "So we know our way around," he reminded them.

"It's the _only_ way to be sure we've destroyed it," Shelby pointed out.

"She's right," Teddie nodded. "That thing took a direct hit from the Ultrazord's Plasma Blast and it's still around, and into even more dangerous hands because we didn't realise," she pointed out. The others nodded as Shelby smiled at her for the backup.

"Okay, no Megazords," Kendall nodded as the others all seemed to agree with Shelby. "We go on foot, and we infiltrate them quietly. And together," she said firmly. "No reckless behaviour by going off alone," she added.

"When have we ever done that?" Tyler smiled innocently, and Kendall rolled her eyes.

* * *

Moving through the woods with James leading the Rangers, they looked around, none of them speaking. Not only did they not want to risk being noticed, but all of them were nervous for what could be their final battle.

Koda suddenly darted forwards, stopping James, and raising a hand to signal trouble.

"Koda?" Olivia called quietly, before Vivix rushed into view.

"Well, there goes our sneak attack," Ivan called as they ran to fight the footsoldiers.

"No problem, we can handle this!" Jeremy called as he kicked the Vivix away from him.

"Things are about to get rocky, Rangers," the Silver Ranger looked up in surprise to see a monster approach, holding up a strange object. The moment he looked at it, Badusa laughed, and gold light shone from it and hit Jeremy in his eyes, and he was turned to stone.

"Jeremy!" Olivia gasped, seeing it happen.

"What did you do to him?!" Koda demanded.

"I am Badusa, and I am petrifying!" the alien laughed, lifting his amulet again. Koda was immediately turned to stone, and Olivia followed suit. Kendall, Riley and Ivan were next, and Shelby was tossed into the bushes.

"Look into my amulet!" As she continued to fight, Teddie bumped into Chase's statue, and she gasped before ducking away from Badusa, realising what he was doing. Shelby rushed over, grabbing her arm and pulling her over to James and Philip, who finished off the last of the Vivix.

"Don't look at the monster's amulet!" Shelby yelled as she grabbed them. "It will turn you to stone!" she warned.

"What?!" James cried as the three followed the Pink Ranger to hide behind a tree.

"You can't hide from me!" Badusa cackled.

"He's right, we're trapped," Philip breathed.

"We just can't look at the amulet, right?" Teddie asked.

"I think so, I saw Tyler and Chase get turned only after they looked at it," Shelby nodded.

"Right, okay," Teddie sighed, getting to her feet. "I'll try and get it away from him," before the three could stop her, Teddie stepped out from behind the tree.

"Oh? A volunteer?" Badusa laughed, and it only grew when he saw her eyes were closed. "Fighting me with your eyes closed? How amusing!" he taunted, but he laughter faded when she rushed at him, her eyes still closed, and connected a punch to his chest.

"Eyesight is a bonus, not a necessity," Teddie told him, dodging his sword as he retaliated, and kicked him backwards. Badusa kept a tight hold on his amulet, fighting her back, but she was dodging each move like she could see them.

"Dodge this!" he threw out a hand, and Teddie was blasted off her feet with a cry.

"Teddie!" Shelby yelled as the White Ranger landed on her back, letting out a moan of pain. She grabbed her blaster, but hesitated, knowing that firing wildly would risk hitting their friend on the ground.

"I haven't had this much fun, since I destroyed the Kyoryuger Galaxy! Badusa laughed loudly. "Open your eyes, Ranger," he approached her. "Soon you'll be stone, just like the others," he laughed. Teddie lifted her hand and threw an energy-ball, but it missed as Badusa stepped to the side.

"Never," she groaned, and Badusa laughed, raising his sword, before blue energy slammed into him and threw Badusa back with a cry.

"How _dare_ you attack me!" Badusa roared as Teddie rolled onto her side.

"I know what it's like to lose an entire world," before she could stop herself, Teddie opened her eyes and stared up at Heckyl, who was facing down Badusa with his goggles protecting him. "It's time you paid for your crime," Heckyl warned the monster.

"You're the one who'll pay!" Badusa went to attack, but Heckyl reacted faster as Teddie covered her head with her arms, curling up. His blue energy hit Badusa again and caused a small explosion, but the monster fled.

"He escaped..." Heckyl growled, before looking down at Teddie, who peeked out from her arms up at him. Without a word, he turned and strode off, and Teddie pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Teddie!" Shelby ran over to her. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" she asked, helping Teddie stand.

"I'm fine, it's what I deserve for going against Ms. Morgan's 'no recklessness' rule," she smiled, brushing herself off. After making sure she was okay, Shelby walked past and over to the statues scattered around. Teddie's smile fell, and she looked in the direction Heckyl had gone, before shaking her head and turning back to join the others.

"They're solid stone," James realised as he touched Jeremy's arm.

"This is all my fault..." tears started to spill down Shelby's face as she touched Tyler's face.

"We've got to get them out of here," Philip warned, knowing that they were out in the open and in a lot of trouble.

"I can manage that," Teddie nodded, snapping her fingers. The four, plus the statues, vanished.

* * *

"Careful," James warned as Philip helped set Tyler back down, grouping the statues together.

"Ari, please tell me you have a way to fix them," Shelby pleaded with the woman whose hands were glowing golden as she tried another spell. She sighed, stepping back.

"I'm sorry, my magic is just bouncing off them," Ari apologised, thinking back to when Maddie had been turned to stone. Their magic had been useless then too.

"Then we must destroy Badusa's amulet, that way they should return to normal," Philip suggested as Shelby took a seat.

"But how do we fight him without turning to stone ourselves?" James wondered.

"The Swoop technique was a good idea," Spencer allowed as he looked over Teddie, who was insisting that she was fine. "But alone you don't stand a chance, sorry Teddie," he offered an apologetic smile to his sister.

"It was worth a shot," Teddie shrugged, not looking offended. "But since I can't really teach it to three others in a short amount of time...what do we do?" she wondered.

"We could destroy him with the Megazord. We'd be safe in the cockpit," Philip suggested.

"As good an idea as that sounds, the Zords won't work while the others are petrified," Ari sighed.

"And our four Zords...none of them have cockpits," James pointed out.

"Unfortunately the SWAT Megazord is under repairs after a giant robot attack recently," Spencer sighed as they looked to him. Philip frowned, all of the Rangers at a loss.

"Then there's just one thing we can do about that," Ari grinned, making them all look around curiously. She lifted her phone, and dialled a number.

"What's she doing?" James wondered.

"I rarely know what she does," Teddie admitted, and Spencer nodded his agreement.

"Hey, Doctor O?" their heads lifted in surprise as Ari spoke. "I was wondering...you've built Zords before, right? The Dino Thunder ones," she commented, and paused. "Oh, and the Turbo ones. Really? You guys built those?" she asked in surprise.

"She can't be suggesting what I think she's suggesting," Spencer folded his arms, staring at their mum.

"Sweet. Okay, then you'll have to teach Shelby," the Pink Ranger's eyes widened as Ari turned to her.

"What? Me? No, I can't create a Zord!" Shelby protested, shaking her head. "I've no idea how to!" she argued.

"Yeah, that's why Doctor Oliver is going to teach you. He's stuck overseas at the moment lecturing in England, so it's up to you," Ari told her casually.

"I can't! Besides, you wouldn't want my help anyway!" Shelby looked away, tears in her eyes. "My brilliant idea to go to Sledge's ship is why we're in this mess," she pointed out.

"Shelby, you're the only one with any dinosaur knowledge," Philip approached her, crouching front of the girl to meet her scared gaze. "A new Megazord may be the only way to save our friends," he reminded her.

"But what if I make another mistake?" Shelby's voice shook as she stared at him.

"Everyone makes mistakes Shelby, what's important is that you learn from it," Arianna spoke up.

"And as far as I see it, I think it'd be an even bigger mistake not to try," Ari nodded. Shelby frowned, before nodding.

"Well.." she broke into a small smile, and stood up. "Okay," she nodded, and took the phone from Ari.

"You really are taking that advice giving thing seriously," James elbowed Philip, who shrugged.

"I learned from the best," he replied, pulling Arianna into his arms as she giggled.

"I didn't realise Kayden was here," Spencer commented with a smirk, and Teddie couldn't help but laugh at his words.

"Okay, first, a dinosaur," Shelby walked over to the shelves where Kendall kept DNA collected from different dinosaurs. "Lesothaurus...no, that's the size of a cat," she shook her head as they watched, smiling at her restored determination.

"My Compy is the size of a cat.." Teddie frowned at the dismissive tone.

"We're looking for a cockpit, not a sword," James reminded her, and Teddie huffed.

"Hesperonychus, looks like a chicken crossed with a crocodile, no thank you," Shelby dismissed, and James couldn't help but laugh. "Tupuxuara...strong, huge, meat eater, and flies...it's perfect," she smiled.

* * *

As Shelby followed Tommy's instructions precisely, asking questions to further understand what she was doing, the others waited and tried to stay out of her way, the other three sparred, including Mack who had returned to see what was happening.

"The others aren't going to believe this," Teddie smiled as she dodged Philip's punch and caught his wrist.

"You mean that you guys are building a Zord from scratch?" Mack chuckled as he caught James' kick and shoved him back. There was a small thud, and they glanced over at Teddie on her back. Philip looked surprised that he'd managed to take her down.

"Nice moves," Teddie just laughed, and let him pull her back up. "Guess I'm really gonna have to work harder," she grinned, making him smile back.

"You heard who saved them out there, right?" Spencer asked Ari quietly, as she watched the four.

"Of course," Ari nodded.

"Why would Heckyl do that?" Spencer asked her curiously when Ari didn't go into more detail. "James and Mack said that Snide is working with Sledge now. Why would Heckyl go against Sledge?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Ari sighed. "But when do the bad guys ever make sense? Especially when they're fighting each other?" she pointed out. Spencer had to agree.

"You're right," he nodded.

"I know," he couldn't help but laugh at his mum's light tone. Nearby, Shelby finished putting together the egg with metal and stepped backwards as it sealed together.

"Is that everything?" Philip asked as they all walked back over to the Pink Ranger.

"Almost. Doctor Oliver said that the way to bring it to life, is to link it to a warrior for their spirit," Shelby explained, and turned around. "Ari, I can't think of a warrior braver or wiser than you," Ari blinked in surprise at Shelby's soft words. "Would you infuse it with your spirit?" she requested.

"I...I've never been called wise in a serious way before," Ari admitted, and smiled. "It'd be an honour," she told Shelby, putting her hand on her shoulder. "Okay, bonding with this will be a bit different to my Plesio Zord back in the day," she commented, approaching the egg and backing away. Closing her eyes, she put her hands over the egg, and they began to glow. The golden light flowed from her hands, into the egg, making it glow brightly. She then backed away, and the egg's glowing increased.

"It appears as though it might be working?" Philip asked uncertainly.

"I have no idea..." Shelby admitted. The egg sparked, and fell from the desk. It hit the ground before anyone could catch it, but instead of shattering, it melted through the ground.

"Oh, Kendall won't be happy about that," Ari commented lightly.

"Where'd it go?" Teddie asked as the egg disappeared.

"I can sense it. Come on, field trip," Ari headed to the doors as the others frowned.

"Such a wonder why she's never been called wise before," Mack grinned.

"Heard that!" Ari called as the doors slid open.

"Is it true?" Shelby wondered as Philip, James and Teddie followed Ari out. "I just created a Zord _and_ a Dino Charger?" Shelby laughed in disbelief.

"Kendall isn't going to believe it," Spencer held out the navy Charger to Shelby with a smile. "Congrats, Shelby, that was some amazing work," he praised, and she smiled, blushing with pride, before she turned and followed the others out.

* * *

"Where is this Zord going?" Teddie wondered as they walked through the forest, following Ari as she detected the Tupux Zord's spirit.

"No idea," Ari replied cheerfully. "But we should be lucky it's gone to the forest. Dino Zords have a tendency to hatch fully grown," she told them as she kept walking.

"I think you guys should be thankful," Teddie said to the other three Rangers, who looked at her in confusion. "That I'm turned out as normal as I did," she grinned, making them laugh quietly.

"Huh," Ari stopped.

"What? It's true," Teddie defended.

"Not that. I agree with you there," Ari chuckled. "The spirit, it's stopped here," she told them.

"Why here?" James frowned, not understanding.

"I have no clue," Ari admitted, before Philip frowned and wandered away from them.

"What's that?" he questioned, looking around what seemed to be a makeshift campsite. He crouched by the small fire, holding a hand out. "It's still warm, someone's been here," he warned as he stood and looked to the others.

"They're still here," Ari warned, and Teddie nodded.

"Welcome, to my humble abode," Philip spun around as Heckyl emerged from behind a tree.

"Stay back," Shelby warned, walking forwards with the others.

"Don't be so dramatic," Heckyl rolled his eyes. "Snide's the one after your skin, not me," he shrugged, looking entirely disinterested.

"You and Snide are the same enemy," Philip pointed out.

"Not any more," they all looked to Ari as she spoke, approaching. "They've split. At least, that's what I'm thinking, since that darkness is gone," she accused him lightly.

"Ms. Morgan said that the Split Emitters went missing," Teddie remembered, and looked at the man in question.

"Snide's idea. One of his very few good ones," he shrugged, meeting her gaze for just a moment before looking away.

"You and Snide divided?" Shelby breathed. "That's why you helped us against Badusa," she accused, and he frowned.

"I wasn't saving you," Heckyl told her, as if the idea was absurd. "I was there to destroy Badusa. He's devastated entire galaxies. I know how that feels," he muttered, taking a seat. "My whole planet was destroyed by Lord Arcanon so he could possess the Dark Energem. Badusa was as bad as he was," Heckyl shrugged, looking at the still smouldering fire with a haunted look.

"Sentai-6? You survived that?" Ari asked, surprised. "How?" she questioned.

"The Dark Energem," Teddie spoke up. "You touched it when you tried to stop Arcanon taking it," she accused, and Heckyl stared at her in alarm. "That's how you survived," she said, before looking away, blushing at her outburst.

"Seriously Teddie, do you have to get weirder? I thought your brother was the psychic," Shelby complained.

"Yeah, cause I asked for this," Teddie rolled her eyes in response.

"Enough. We'll handle that later. Right now there's another problem walking towards us," Ari pointed, and they looked around in alarm to see Badusa approach.

"I told you, you'd pay, Heckyl," Badusa growled, lifting his amulet.

"No he won't!" Teddie threw an energy-ball at Badusa, hitting him in the face. As he was stunned, Shelby leapt at him, kicking the amulet free of his grasp.

"My amulet!" Badusa yelled in horror as it was thrown through the air. Shelby straightened up as Teddie, James and Philip stood beside her, and they grabbed their Chargers.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"UNLEASH THE POWER!" the four Morphed and ran to fight Badusa. Wielding his sword with both hands, Badusa swung at the Rangers, keeping them at arm's length.

"Teddie!" Ari leapt in and blocked his sword with her own, calling on her armour. "Destroy the amulet!" she called over.

"Okay!" Teddie turned and ran in the direction that the amulet had been thrown in, looking around. "Come on, it's a big stupid mask with hair or something, it can't be that-" she stopped as Heckyl tapped her shoulder.

"There?" he gestured, and Teddie went red as she saw it lying amongst the leaves. "I thought Ninjas were supposed to be observant. That's what you are, right?" he asked as he walked past. Teddie gave a flat laugh, and followed, grabbing his arm.

"And what are you doing?" she challenged. He sighed.

"We can destroy it if we work together," he pointed out.

"Oh," Teddie blinked, surprised by the suggestion. "Okay," she nodded, and he frowned, before shaking his head, just as surprised that she'd agreed so easily. "Let's do this," she held up her hand, lighting it up with a ball of energy tossing it as he threw out a hand and blasted it with his own power. The amulet burst into flames, and shrivelled up, smoking. "Guys?" she immediately contacted the others on her Dino Com.

'' _Ted? What is going on_?' Jeremy frowned at her, disorientated.

"Ah you know, you guys got turned to stone so the rest of us were doing all the hard work," Teddie laughed.

' _Oh, you're working hard for once_ ,' Jeremy grinned back at her.

' _Finally_!' Chase shouted.

"Hah! Tell my bro that he can't talk until he finally mops up the mess he made in the freezer!" Teddie scoffed.

' _You what_?' Kendall demanded, and Teddie smirked.

"I'm sending you our co-ordinates," she sang, ending the communication. She laughed to herself, returning her com to her belt, and looked around to see Heckyl walking off. "Wait," she caught his arm, demorphing and looking up at him as he glanced around at her. "Thank you. For helping us," Teddie spoke softly as he watched her. Heckyl then sighed.

"Be careful of Snide. He wants both of us dead," he warned her.

"A lot of those guys want me dead, Heckyl," Teddie arched an eyebrow at him. "I'll be fine. Will you?" she challenged, and he looked away. He moved his arm, and Teddie jolted as her hand slipped into his, and he didn't let go. Her heart immediately started to race, and she cursed herself for it.

"Teddie, I..." he started, but stopped as Teddie tilted her head. He then turned to her completely. "A word of advice. Get off this planet. Soon," he warned, and pulled out of her grasp. With that, he turned and walked off, and Teddie frowned.

"What's _that_ mean?" she muttered, before sighing. "Better help the others," she Morphed again and ran back to where the others were still fighting.

Badusa let out a growl as Ari managed to cut down his back, before he spun in a circle and cut across all of them, tossing the four to the ground

"You think I am Badusa now? Check _this_ out!" he laughed as Teddie reached them. "Magna Beam!" he roared, growing much larger. "I will destroy you, just like I did the Kyoryuger Galaxy!" he cackled.

"How can we fight him without a Megazord?" Philip glanced to the others worriedly.

"Don't worry, you won't have to," Ari laughed, a hand to her head.

"What do you mean?" James asked her.

"The Tupux Zord has hatched," she grinned, and they heard a loud shriek. Looking up, they saw a massive Zord, gold and pink in colour, flying towards Badusa. He whirled around, and let out a yell as the Zord slammed into him.

"The Tupux Zord!" Shelby smiled, delighted and amazed that she was responsible for it.

"Great job Shelby," James nodded to her.

"Yeah, it's awesome!" Teddie praised, and Shelby blushed.

"Let's form a Megazord, and take the big guy down!" she called.

"Summon Zords!" Philip and James summoned their Zords, and the Tupux Zord continued to batter Badusa before flying back.

"Activate Tupux Charge Megazord, Ankylo-Pachy Formation!" Shelby called, holding up the new charger. The four, plus Ari, appeared in the cockpit as the Megazord was formed, and Ari looked around.

"Now this is cool!" she laughed, looking around.

"Awesome!" Shelby cheered. Badusa ran at them, but the Rangers were ready.

"Pachy Wrecking Ball!" Badusa grunted as the ball slammed into him, knocking the monster away before he could land a blow. "Ankylo Hammer!" before Badusa could recover, the hammer hit the ground, and he was knocked about. "Tupux Boomerang Attack!" they threw what had been the wings of the Tupux Zord, and they hit Badusa multiple times before catching it. "Tupux Boomerang, Whirlwind Finish!" with a powerful throw, the Ranger's hurled the boomerang again as it began to glow.

"I've hit rock bottom!" Badusa wailed, collapsing.

"You're a natural Ari," Shelby laughed.

"Hey, it's just like riding a bike," Ari shrugged.

"Look, the others are here!" Teddie called, pointing below. "Let's go meet them!" she grinned.

"Be careful, Sledge is bound to be planning something," she warned as they leapt from the Megazord.

"Shelby!" Tyler spotted the Pink Ranger as the rest of the group ran to join the four Rangers.

"Tyler!" she smiled, throwing her arms around him.

"Hey guys," Teddie grinned.

"So uh...new Megazord?" Chase asked his sister, who started laughing.

"You'll never believe what we went through to de-petrify you," she grinned.

"We can't celebrate yet, look!" Tyler called, gesturing behind them. The group looked around to see Badusa standing there, laughing.

"Dude, seriously? Can't you take a hint?" Teddie demanded.

"Celebrate this, Rangers!" Badusa threw out his arms, summoning a hoard of Vivix and Spikeballs.

"Let's finish this! It's Morphin Time!" Tyler shouted as he grabbed his Charger. "Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"UNLEASH THE POWER!" the rest of the Rangers Morphed, and the full team of twelve went on the attack.

The fight was easily going in the Rangers' favour, as Teddie threw up her hands, summoning vines to burst out of the ground.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" she shot the Vivix and Spikeballs, destroying them. Nearby, Tyler used the new Tupux Charger and the Stego Charger to toss Badusa back.

"Together!" he yelled.

"Dinosaur might..."

"Ready to fight!"

"T-Rex Super Charge!"

"Victory Maximum, Final Strike!" Badusa screamed as the power of the twelve Energems slammed into him, destroying him.

"Monster extinct!" Tyler cheered, jumping into the air.

The ground began to shake suddenly, and their victory was short-lived, as they looked around to see Sledge's ship take off, flying into the air and shooting off. "Oh no! Sledge's ship!" Tyler gasped.

"We're too late..." Teddie groaned.

1-2-3-4-5

Waking with a start, Ryan looked around, feeling the makeshift bed he was lying on bouncing.

"What the hell? Where am I?" he frowned, looking around. The room was grungy and filled with dust and dirt. Getting to his feet, Ryan stumbled out the door, and blinked as he found himself staring at a massive blue alien.

"Hey! You shouldn't-" before the Spikeball could finish speaking, Ryan threw out his hand, and the monster was slammed back against the opposite wall as darkness flowed from Ryan and his eyes shone navy.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Ryan smirked, and the Spikeball screamed before it was turned to dust.

"Oh, you're awake," he glanced around to see a large feline alien watching him. "Master Sledge wants to see you," Fury told him. Ryan shrugged, and followed him to the brig, where Sledge was sitting.

"So, you touched the Dark Energem," Sledge commented, sounding only slightly interested as Ryan stood in front of him, looking bored.

"Is that what it is? All I know is, I got power, and the desire to wipe everyone out," Ryan shrugged, turning and looking out the newly repaired window.

"Perfect. How would you like to battle the Power Rangers?" he turned back to Sledge, an eyebrow raised.

"Are they strong?" he asked, now sounding very interested.

"Irritatingly so," Sledge nodded, and a smirk spread across his face.

"Well...I suppose it would be rude to decline," Ryan shrugged. "You must have another agenda. My only request, is that I get more power...this...it's not enough," he looked down at his hands, overwhelmed by a need for more power. For the Dark Energem, that was currently in Sledge's grasp.

"You'll get it, don't worry," his smirk grew as Sledge nodded, and Ryan chuckled.

"Perfect," he laughed.

1-2-3-4-5

"I can't believe you guys made a Zord," Chase laughed as Teddie, James and Philip explained what had happened after they had been turned to stone.

"Well, Shelby made it," James indicated to the girl as she walked in with Tyler.

"Too bad that it wasn't fast enough to stop Sledge escaping," Teddie sighed.

"Sledge has been trying to get the Energems for 65 million years," Kendall frowned as Shelby and Tyler approached them. "He wouldn't quit now," she pointed out.

"And what has he been doing since his ship crashed?" Philip wondered.

"Um..." Teddie shifted uneasily. "When we destroyed Badusa's amulet, Heckyl warned me-"

"Teddie," Chase scowled at the idea that she would have talked to him.

"He said that we should get off the planet. And soon," Teddie's voice grew more confident as she stared her brother down defiantly.

"Just because he helped you guys once, doesn't mean we should start trusting him," Chase argued.

"I'm not saying that!" Teddie snapped.

"He lied to our faces for over a month, remember?" Chase refused to accept the idea. "How could you think about-"

"Chase, stop," Olivia caught his hand. "If he's given this warning, there's a reason for it," she pointed out.

"Indeed," Ivan nodded. "He may truly know something that we don't. That Sledge's plan is so devastating, so huge, that the only safe place, were outer space," they all fell silent at the idea.

* * *

 **We're coming to the end now, and I've got one chapter left to write before I'm officially done with Dino Charge. Maybe that's why I'm procrastinating so much...**

 **Anyways, hope you liked it!**

 **Please review!**


	20. Darkness Within

**A bit earlier in the day than I usually update, but right after work I'm off to my sister's, and then will be away to RTX London until Monday!  
**

 **Hope you like this!**

* * *

Chapter 20: Darkness Within

While the Rangers had won another tough fight, they couldn't help but consider it a loss. Their plans to destroy the Dark Energem had failed, and Sledge and Snide had escaped in their ship, taking the Dark Energem with them.

James frowned, thinking of the warning Teddie had relayed from Heckyl. Despite Chase's reluctance to trust such a source, they were all uneasy at the idea that the threat could be very real.

"Oh, you don't look too happy," James looked up as Olivia approached him, taking a seat with the Aqua Ranger. "What's eating you?" she asked, passing him a smoothie. James couldn't help but smile as he took it, thanking her quietly. He was glad that he'd managed to fit in with the team, having been worried that due to being older – physically, at least, considering Ivan and Koda were far older than him – that he's stick out too much.

"I'm just thinking about what that warning could mean," James explained, taking a drink of the strawberry smoothie.

"You and me both," the blonde nodded as she looked at her own lime drink. "It doesn't help that Teddie and Chase have been on edge all day," Olivia frowned. "Actually, Ari and Ivan have been the same," she considered.

"It could be nothing," James suggested, but the dubious look on Olivia's face in response made him laugh before he could stop himself. "Okay, maybe not," he allowed, raising his hands.

"Honestly, I'm feeling it too," she admitted, and James watched, surprised. "There's been something...bad in the air," Olivia told him.

"Are you sure it's not because of Sledge being alive, and escaping with the Dark Energem?" James asked her carefully, but Olivia shook her head. James leaned back, taking a slow sip. "Let me guess, it's a magic thing?" he asked with an amused smile. Olivia couldn't help but smile back.

"I know it's not really your area of expertise..."

"I'm happy to listen," James told her.

"Thanks James," Olivia smiled. "I just didn't really want to talk to someone who's known magic their whole lives. They never make sense," she complained, and the Aqua Ranger had to agree with that. "It's just-"

"Chase, back off," they looked up, surprised, as Teddie faced off against her brother, glaring defiantly at him.

"Teddie, I'm just telling you that you can't trust the creep!" Chase told her firmly, not backing down. Teddie's eyes darkened in anger.

"I'm _aware_ of that!" she snapped.

"Guys, please!" Arianna pleaded, walking over to them. "This isn't going to help anyone!" she told them.

"I'm-"

"Just stop!" Teddie cut Chase off. "I'm not an idiot! You can feel that darkness too, I know you can! Something bad _is_ coming!" she shouted at her brother.

"Teddie!"

"I'm not saying you're an idiot!" Chase argued. "I'm just warning you not to get too close again!" Teddie took a step back as her eyes went wide, and everyone inhaled sharply.

"Chase!" Arianna stared at him as tears burned in Teddie's eyes.

"Don't you _dare-"_ she was cut off by a sharp whistle.

" _Enough_ ," Ari walked over, looking disgusted. "You both need to cool off," she warned the twins as everyone else stared at them in shock. Despite everything, even when their bonds had been severed, Teddie and Chase had never turned on one another. "Now, of all times, you need to work as a team. _All_ of you," Ari turned to the others to indicate that she meant the full team. "Sledge and Snide were formidable on their own. Now they're working together, and utilising the power of the Dark Energem. Your toughest fights are almost on you. If you cannot be a unified force, you stand no chance at all," she warned.

Everyone was silent as Ari spoke, commanding the attention of the room. Her power was obvious, even just through her stance and her words. She shook her head. "You don't blame each other. You don't take it out on each other. You work together," with that, she turned on her heel and walked off.

"Whoa..." Riley murmured. Ivan nodded, looking impressed.

"Ari would have made a fine leader in the Knights of Zandar," he commented.

"She's right," Arianna spoke softly as she turned to Teddie.

"I'm glad your uncle volunteered to look after Nerida for a while," Olivia walked over and slipped her hand into Chase's. "Chase, you can't deny that something bad is coming. Forget Heckyl and his warning. Let's just work together to take it out," she told him with a smile.

"Right," the Black Ranger nodded, and raised his gaze to Teddie. "Ted, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," he apologised, and Teddie shrugged.

"It's okay. We're both idiots," she told him, managing a small smile.

"That's for sure," Shelby called over as the two bumped fists. The smiles faded as the alarm blared. Kendall went to her computer, and her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "What is it?" Shelby asked, seeing the reaction.

"It's not..I don't understand," Kendall shook her head, fixing her glasses as if this would correct what she was seeing. "No alien bio-signs, but a lot of dark energy," she explained.

"Let's check it out," Tyler suggested.

* * *

Reaching the town square, where Kendall had picked up the reading, the Rangers looked around curiously.

"I don't see anything," Tyler shook his head.

"Me neither," James frowned.

"Perhaps the sensor isn't working right," Philip suggested. "It didn't pick up any alien signature," he pointed out.

"No, something's here," Ivan frowned, his hand automatically moving to his sword.

"He's right," Chase muttered as he lifted his blaster. He frowned, looking around, as sound reached him.

"What that noise?" Koda wondered, hearing it too. It started to grow louder, and they frowned.

"Singing?" Shelby wondered.

"Wait, I know that voice," Teddie looked around quickly.

" _Can't break me I'm not givin' up,  
I gotta prove them wrong.  
Take your time 'cause I'm not taking mine,  
I gotta stand up strong._" their eyes widened as Ryan walked into view, singing as he grinned.

"Ryan?" Teddie gasped. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, but Chase caught her arm. Then she felt it, the darkness as Ryan looked to the group.

"JJ!" he exclaimed, seeing Jeremy staring at him. "You know, I had a suspicion you were the new Silver Ranger!" he laughed. "I'd almost feel left out, if you guys weren't so pathetic," Jeremy's eyes widened.

"Excuse me?" Shelby growled.

"Look at you!" Ryan gestured to the group. "Except for your colour schemes, nobody could figure out that you're the Power Rangers," he mocked. "I mean let's see, you got the nerds there," he gestured to Kendall and Riley. "Captain Caveman there you might think, if he looked like he had two braincells to rub together," Ryan glanced to Koda, who was glaring at him.

"Who _are_ you?," Jeremy growled at him.

"Well, I guess you and Chase kinda seem like you could be Rangers. And maybe big Red here," Ryan said as he looked to Tyler. "But then there's the wannabe knight, a _Prince_ , and-huh, never met you before," Ryan commented idly as he met James' gaze.

"Enough!" Teddie shouted, stepping forwards as her hands lit up with energy. "Who are you?" she demanded. "You aren't Ryan!" she told him, and his eyes glittered with malice.

"I'm not?" Ryan tilted his head. "Then I guess this won't work," he inhaled sharply, and Teddie's eyes widened.

"Cover your ears!" she yelled, and as they did so, Ryan let out a powerful scream that cut through them, and the power behind it tossed them backwards.

"What the heck was that?!" Shelby shouted, her ears ringing as she pushed herself back to her feet.

"His Ptera Scream," Jeremy grumbled as he got up. Ryan was laughing. "Okay, so you proved you're Ryan, what happened to you?" he demanded, facing the young man. Ryan sobered, and shrugged.

"Oh, you know, was in the forest a little while ago for a class project, and happened to find something _very_ interesting," he said casually as the rest of the team got to their feet.

"What are you talking about?" Tyler frowned.

"Very interesting necklaces, you have there," Ryan gestured to Tyler's Red Energem, and the Ranger immediately grasped it in his hand protectively. "Very similar, actually...huh," he tapped his chin.

"Spit it out already!" Jeremy growled at him.

"Well, I was going to say that it's very similar to my own," they froze as he pulled the Dark Energem out from under his shirt, hanging from around his neck. "On loan from Sledge, of course. Just to destroy you fools," the smirk grew wider across Ryan's face.

"The Dark Energem," Riley breathed, all of them on edge at the sight of it.

"But how?" Teddie asked.

"Ah you know, that dude, Arcanon, I think? He landed in the forest near me, I found the Dark Energem and here we are," Ryan shrugged casually, slipping it back under his shirt.

"How is it affecting him differently?" Philip questioned.

"Yeah, when I touched it, Kereberos was born," Jeremy nodded.

"And same with Heckyl and Snide," Shelby added.

"We'll have to figure it out, right now we need to try and get it away from him," Kendall told them group firmly, and they nodded.

"Right," Tyler agreed. "It's Morphin Time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" Ryan watched them Morph with an amused look, and as they ran at him, he gave a low chuckle, and rippled out of view.

"Where'd he go?" Riley looked around quickly.

"Who _is_ Ryan? How's he got powers too?" Shelby demanded.

"His parents were Dino Thunder Rangers," Teddie called to her, looking around carefully. Koda sniffed the air, and spun around, throwing a powerful punch that connected with something behind Shelby. Ryan let out a grunt as he was forced to reappear, shoved backwards.

"Not bad," he nodded, impressed. "But try this!" he threw out his hands, and dark energy rippled out, slamming into the Rangers and pushing them backwards.

"What is this power?" Olivia gasped as they struggled against it.

"Ryan, this isn't you!" Teddie yelled as she was battered. "Please stop! Fight the Dark Energem!" she pleaded with him.

"Why would I want to do _that_?" Ryan's power intensified, and the Rangers were slammed to the ground. All of them groaned in pain, rolling over to try and get up. " _Fight_ this power? It's all I want!" he yelled at them.

"Trust me, it's not," Jeremy pushed himself up, staggering as he breathed heavily through the pair. "That darkness will swallow you up, you'll never feel anything good again! Look at you, Ryan, you're fighting us! We've been friends since we were little kids!" he shouted at Ryan, whose smile was gone.

"Friends?" he repeated, and threw out his hands. Jeremy was slammed into the side of a building by dark energy. "Why would I need you? Why would I need any of you?" Ryan demanded.

"Jeremy!" the others got up and hurried to the Silver Ranger's side.

"Look at you! You're weak! Fighting as a team just _proves_ that!" Ryan snapped as the dark energy started to swirl around him.

"What's happening now?" Ivan frowned.

"I've no idea, but it's bad," Kendall frowned as they watched.

"Ryan!" Teddie yelled.

"Shut up dammit!" Ryan yelled, and the energy pulsed out, throwing the Rangers to the ground and cracking the buildings around them.

"Man that's rough...what?" Tyler suddenly gasped, and they all looked up. Each Ranger let out a cry of horror as Ryan stood in the middle of the town square, now wearing an entirely different outfit.

Navy in colour with red sleeves and gold bands, it was very different to what the Rangers wore, but at the same time, very similar.

"Ryan's a... _Power Ranger_?" Chase managed to say as Ryan looked down at his outfit.

"A Dark Ranger? This is really bad," Shelby gulped.

"Yes...this is real power," he laughed low, and lifted his head. "But...I have a better idea on how to destroy you," Ryan snapped his fingers, and the ground shook violently.

"Vivizords!" Tyler groaned as they got back to his feet and saw the monsters approaching, massive and snarling. "Come on guys!" he pushed himself to his feet. "I'll fight Ryan, you guys use the Tupux Charge Megazord to take these guys out," he told the Rangers, who nodded.

"Be careful," Shelby warned him, and Tyler smiled, nodding. "Dino Charger ready! Summon Zords!"

"T-Rex Super Charger, activate!" Tyler activated his Battilizer and used the Tupux and Tricera Zord powers as he ran to fight Ryan. Nearby, the Tupux Charge Megazord fought off the Vivizords with ease, and Ryan kicked Tyler backwards.

"A fancy suit ain't going to help you win," Ryan followed him, but let out a cry as Tyler tossed the Tupux boomerang and hit the Dark Ranger several times. Ryan stumbled back, a hand to his chest.

"I think it will," Tyler warned him.

"I need more power..." Ryan muttered, glaring at Tyler. He looked up as the Megazord destroyed the last of the Vivizords, and he gave a small laugh. "That's it!" he started to laugh as the dark energy surrounded him again.

"What are you doing?" Tyler demanded, and Ryan lifted a hand. The dark power flew from him, and slammed into the Megazord, making it jerk and shudder.

"What's happening?" Chase shouted. Before they'd realised it, they were ejected from the Megazord as it split apart, and their Zords were tossed aside as the Tupux Zord screeched.

"The Tupux Zord!" Shelby cried out as they watched darkness surround it. Hearing a laugh, they looked at Ryan as his suit began to change, taking on more of an appearance of a dinosaur with gold spikes that resembled wings on his upper arms. Above, the gold and pink colours on the Zord began to change to navy, making it seem a lot more sinister.

"Yes! So much power!" he laughed.

' _Guys_!' Tyler grabbed his Dino Com as Ari contacted them. ' _He's taken over the Tupux Zord, it's now completely under his control. It's almost like he...bonded with it_ ,' she warned, and they stared at Ryan.

"What can I say? You offer me an unclaimed Zord...I'm going to take it!" he leapt up into the Tuxpux Zord, and it formed a Megazord of its own.

"I can't believe this is happening..." Jeremy breathed.

"Come on guys! We need to keep fighting!" Tyler told them.

"But we can't destroy the Tupux Zord!" Shelby pleaded with him, tears in her eyes. She was so proud of the Zord, and to destroy it would be worse than sacrificing their E-Tracer.

"We'll force him out," Chase told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It won't come to that," he told her confidently, and Shelby nodded.

"Let's call the Ultrazord!" Jeremy suggested, grabbing his Charger. The others nodded, and they called on the powerful Megazord, along with the Plesio Charge Megazord.

"Oh, two against one..." Ryan commented as he looked at them. "Let's hope it's more fun than 12 against 1!" he laughed. "Tupux Boomerang Attack!" he hurled the wings of the Megazord at the Ultrazord, and it collided hard, knocking them back.

"Ankylo Hammer Punch!" as the Ultrazord recovered, Kendall, Philip and James rushed in with a powerful punch. However, the Tupux blocked it with a hand. "That's impossible!" Kendall gasped.

"Pachy Wrecking Ball!" Philip reacted quickly, and they slammed the mace into the Tupux Megazord, hitting it hard enough to free themselves.

"Dino Head Spike!" the Ultrazord stepped in and jabbed at the Tupux Zord with their weapon, knocking Ryan back further.

"That's more like it!" Ryan laughed. "Let's see how you hand this! Tupux Boomerang Whirlwind Finish!" he hurled the boomerang at the two Megazords again, and the Rangers cried out as they were battered hard, their cockpits sparking dangerous.

"We need to eject!" Tyler yelled, and the Megazords split apart as the Rangers were ejected, tossed in multiple directions as their Zords ambled off to recover. Ryan laughed loudly, towering over the city.

"Yes, now _this_ is power!" he cheered. "I await your next challenge, Rangers!" he yelled.

* * *

Tyler landed with Koda on the beach, both of them demorphing and groaning in pain, neither able to move.

"So...strong..." Tyler murmured as everything went dark.

Shelby, Kendall, Jeremy and James landed in the park, with Kendall's glasses cracked and all of them already unconscious as their suits shattered, laying in the grass. Riley landed not too far from them, barely conscious but not able to move as he powered down as well.

Philip and Chase ended up in the river, with Philip pulling the passed out Black Ranger out before collapsing himself beside him on the riverbank, both of them soaked through.

Ivan landed close by the museum, still conscious, and struggled to try and get up, wondering just where the rest of his friends had ended up.

Teddie woke up in the leaves, her entire body aching from the fight and from the fall, and she let out a gasp as Vivix appeared, ambling towards her. She scrambled to her feet, but fell almost immediately, too weak to fight back as they approached her.

"Someone...help..." she whimpered as her consciousness started swimming, and as everything went dark, she heard the Vivix squeal as they were attacked.

* * *

" _Stay away from that!" Singe roared through the blur. Reacting immediately, Ryan turned on the defensive and let out a scream. To Singe's surprise, the scream carried power and force behind it, slamming him into a tree as Ryan's Ptera power activated. Ryan then faded from view, panicking. "I have to get the Dark Energem for Lord Arcanon!" Singe shrieked, getting back up, trying to back away._

 _Looking at the stone on the ground, Ryan took a breath, and materialised again, rushing at it. "No!" Singe roared, but it was too late. Ryan's hand wrapped around the Dark Energem, and he stiffened, letting out a scream. The Dark Energem flashed, and it's light spread through Ryan's body._

" _What's...happening to me?!" he yelled, dropping his notebook. When the winds faded, the light seemed to fuse with Ryan, who stood tall with his back to Singe, still holding the Dark Energem._

" _Let it go!" Singe ran at him, but Ryan turned to him and threw out a hand, blasting him with energy. Singe screamed as the power ripped through him, destroying him. His blaster fell into the grass, and Ryan stumbled, before starting to laugh._

" _Now this...this is real power!" he laughed loudly as the air crackled with his power._

Teddie woke up with a gasp, sitting up straight, and regretting it as her body protested with the pain. As she caught her breath, the adrenaline faded, and the tears came.

"No...Ryan..." she breathed, her voice breaking. She put her hands to her face as she shook from the cries, before she managed to calm herself down. She took a deep breath, wiping her tears away, before realising she wasn't alone. She remembered the Vivix approaching her before, and looked around sharply. Her eyes widened as she saw Heckyl sitting by the fire, not looking up. He seemed completely in thought, unaware that she was awake, and jumped when she approached and sat down beside him.

"Oh, you're awake," he glanced at her, and back to the fire. Teddie looked up at the sky, and found it was completely dark.

"How long have I been out?" she asked him softly.

"A few hours. Here," he held out her Dino Com, and she grabbed it protectively, before her hand flew to her necklace. "Your Energem is still there too, don't worry," Heckyl told her, not looking up. "Your mother knows you're safe. But you should probably go back to them sooner than later," he said, but Teddie didn't move.

"You saved me. From the Vivix," she accused him.

"I didn't. I destroyed Vivix that got too close to where I was," Heckyl corrected her stiffly.

"Thank you," he frowned, and looked at her.

"I just said I didn't," he told her, in a harder tone this time, but Teddie didn't even blink as he scowled at her. "Just go," he turned away, but Teddie still didn't get up. He then sighed heavily, and turned to her again. "How did you know. About me touching the Dark Energem?" Heckyl asked her, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were still watery and bloodshot from crying. This time, Teddie looked away, turning her gaze to the small fire as it crackled.

"Ever since Jeremy joined our team, I've been having dreams about the Dark Energem," she said after a moment of debating. "Of Arcanon about to touch Jeremy with it again, of Ryan finding it and destroying Singe...of you," Teddie spoke softly, meeting his gaze again.

"Biggest mistake of my life," Heckyl murmured.

"How'd it happen?" Teddie asked, unable to stop herself. Heckyl watched her, debating whether or not to tell her.

"The Dark Energem was hidden in the Archives on my planet, deep inside," Heckyl started, thinking back to his planet, the memories still fuzzy but slowly returning to him. "It was practically a myth, a legend. Nobody thought it was real, except the Archivists. I was training to join them myself when Arcanon attacked," his gaze grew more haunted. "He slaughtered _everyone._ The others tried to stop him and he cut each of them down, and I was told to take the Dark Energem and escape with it before he could get it. I failed," he whispered.

"You risked your life to keep it from Arcanon. I don't see how that was wrong," Teddie spoke up after a moment, moving slightly as she was very aware of Heckyl's hand on hers.

"He still got it. And Snide was created because of it. And I'm..." Heckyl trailed off, his grip on her hand tightening. When Teddie's fingers curled in around his, he looked down quickly, seeming to not have realised what he had done. When he lifted his eyes to hers, Teddie leaned in and kissed him softly. After a moment, she pulled away.

"I'm sorry...I-" before Teddie could speak, he followed her, resuming the kiss as he turned to her completely and pulled her closer. It was gentler than the first two kisses, pulling the pair in deeper as his arms went around her and kept her against him as hers rested on his shoulders.

When they finally parted, neither spoke, not moving from each other's grasp. After a moment, Heckyl sighed, and leaned his forehead to hers.

"Why does it always end up this way?" he questioned quietly.

"I wish I knew," Teddie admitted, her eyes closed as her heart raced. He moved, kissing her again softly, before pulling away as they heard a noise. A fox darted by, and Heckyl gave a heavy sigh. Teddie angled her head, taking in his exhausted features. "Dude, when did you last sleep?" she asked. He frowned, and shrugged, and Teddie sighed, dropping her hands. "You need to sleep," she told him.

"When Sledge, Snide, and now another messing with the Dark Energem are around? I'll be fine," Heckyl rolled his eyes, but Teddie grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "Teddie-" his warning was cut off as she snapped her fingers, and the air around them rippled. "What did you just do?" Heckyl questioned, feeling the tingle of something strange in the air before it faded.

"Cloaked this area so they won't find us," Teddie shrugged. He watched her for a moment, before rolling his eyes again.

"Is anything about you normal?" he asked.

"Everyone always says that," Teddie sighed, dropping his hand. "Get some sleep while you can," she told him, taking a seat again.

"You're staying?" he frowned.

"Not sure how well the cloaking works when I'm not here," Teddie didn't look up from the fire.

"Then you should probably get some sleep too. Something tells me that whatever trashed your Zords, is going to be back," he warned her, and Teddie's fists clenched. Heckyl wondered what he'd said to set her off.

"Ryan. He's my friend. And he was taken over by the Dark Energem completely," stubborn tears clung to Teddie's lashes as she thought about her friend.

"I'm...sorry," she frowned, and looked up at Heckyl. She sighed, and stood again, gripping his hand. He stepped in and kissed her, and Teddie felt her fears for Ryan fade a little in the warmth of the embrace.

* * *

Sunlight hit Teddie's face, drawing her from her sleep, and she yawned widely. It took her a moment to remember the events of the previous day and night, and she suddenly became very aware of the arms around her. Heckyl was still fast asleep, completely relaxed as he kept her close. Teddie couldn't help but wonder how he trusted her enough to be in such a way.

She knew that she should move, and go back to the museum to regroup and figure out what to do with Ryan, and make sure everyone else was okay. But for once she wanted to be selfish and stay where she was. Where people weren't tiptoeing around her or complaining about her abilities.

Giving a small huff, she sighed, knowing that she couldn't hide forever. As she shifted, the arms around her pulled her in closer, and she couldn't stop the squeak of alarm. Heckyl immediately woke up, looking at her as she went bright red in his grip.

"You stayed?" he asked, voice thick with sleep. Teddie nodded silently, her face burning as she avoided his gaze. "You should get back to the other Rangers," Heckyl told her quietly. His grip on her seemed to tighten for a moment, before he let her go, and sat up. "You really should listen to what I said and get off this planet," he said as Teddie sat up too.

"What do you know, Heckyl? What did you mean by that?" she asked him, taking his hand. He frowned at her, his eyes hardening.

"Teddie, I'm not good now, the evil of the Dark Energem is too strong," he warned her. "I'm not going to help you Rangers," he said, and Teddie frowned back.

"You can claim otherwise Heckyl, but you helped us against Badusa, and you helped me. Please, come back with me and tell us _what_ is going on," Teddie pleaded. Heckyl avoided her gaze, but eventually was drawn back, and sighed.

" _Fine_ ," he relented, and tried not to think about how cute her smile was as it spread across her face. "But I'm not there to help. I'm there to warn your merry band of heroes, and that's it," Heckyl told her firmly, and was taken aback when she kissed his cheek.

"If you insist," Teddie stood up and brushed herself off. Heckyl watched her walk back over to the fire, and shook his head, wondering just what he was doing.

* * *

 **Next chapter will be up possibly Monday, depending on how wrecked I am.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	21. Edge of Extinction

**I'm back! Thanks to the storm in Ireland yesterday my flight was cancelled and the flight I was able to get was delayed so didn't get home until after 1, and I was asleep immediately.**

 **I'm so close to finishing, I'm about 3/4 of the way through the final chapter and I just have to keep focused.**

 **Hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 21: Edge of Extinction

Olivia couldn't help but shoot a nervous glance at Chase, a little nervous that her boyfriend's ticking time-bomb of a temper was about to explode. She pushed her hair from her face, wincing at the movement, and tried not to make it obvious that she was watching him.

They were all recovering from injuries of some kind, thankfully none too extreme, but they were all shaken from the fight. Jeremy had barely spoken when they'd woken and regrouped at the base.

Ryan, a normal guy and their friend, had been completely taken over by the Dark Energem, and become a Dark Ranger. Now, not only did they face the threat of Sledge, Snide, and their control over the Dark Energem, but they now had to fight their friend too.

Olivia sighed, and looked down at the blender as she poured its contents into a cup.

"Hey guys," she looked up as Jeremy walked in with Tyler, Shelby and Riley.

"Hey, how'd it go with that egg you guys found?" Olivia asked them quietly. The four had gone out on a call, and found a strange green egg hidden in the back of an electricity box.

"Kendall's analysing it," Shelby explained.

"Great," Olivia gave a small smile.

"What's up with you guys?" Jeremy frowned, seeing Olivia's unease and looked to Chase. "Whoa, why do you look like you're about to go nuclear?" the Silver Ranger questioned, staring him. Chase's scowl grew.

"Teddie's back," Olivia answered for him.

"She is? Is she okay?" Tyler asked. They'd all been worried for their White Ranger. She'd disappeared after the fight with Ryan, and Ari had told them she was okay, but hadn't elaborated farther than that.

"Uh...why's that bad news?" Jeremy asked.

"Because of who she brought back with her," they frowned at Chase's low voice, and looked out. Their eyes widened as they found Heckyl sitting with Ari, Teddie, Koda and Ivan, looking entirely disinterested by what was happening.

"What the _hell_?" Jeremy demanded, shoving the doors to the kitchen open and storming out. Teddie jumped at the sudden bang, and looked around. " _You_ , are in for a world of hurt," Jeremy growled at her, and Teddie jumped up, backing away before he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "Disappear like that again and I'll send you straight to the Underworld," he threatened as Teddie hugged him back, her fingers curling into the fabric of his jacket.

"Sorry," she apologised meekly, and he held her at arms length, taking in her appearance. She was as banged up as the rest of them, with a cut over her eyebrow and bruises lining her arms and legs.

"Good," he nodded, and took a seat. "So. What brings you here?" Jeremy asked Heckyl. A flicker of alarm passed through his face before he could recover the disinterested air. He couldn't help but go on edge around Jeremy. After all, the last time they'd been face to face, Jeremy's other half Kerberos had beaten the living daylights out of him.

"He's going to tell us about the threat he warned Teddie about," Ari spoke lightly, her attention going back to the one in question as the rest all looked surprised.

"It's something to do with that egg we found, isn't it?" Shelby pressed quietly.

"If you must know, that egg will hatch, into a Greenzilla monster," the Rangers, minus Jeremy, all relaxed slightly at Heckyl's warning. "You know, big, green, giant tentacles-"

"Yes, we fought one before and were victorious," Ivan rolled his eyes.

"Oh, have you fought seven before?" Heckyl shot him a mocking smile, and whatever relief the group had been feeling was erased. "Sledge planted them all over; New Tech City, Ocean Bluff, Zandar, England, New Zealand, Tokyo and Amber Beach. He's going to crush entire world," he warned.

"At once?" Olivia breathed. Heckyl gave a short nod.

"Then we need your help to find and destroy them," Koda suggested, making him snort in disbelief.

"My help?" Heckyl repeated, and the Blue Ranger nodded. "You must be kidding," he shook his head.

"The Heckyl that tried so desperately to save his own planet, is the one we need to help save the Earth," Ivan told him, knowing they were in a lot of danger.

"That Heckyl doesn't exist any more," he snapped back, anger lighting up his eyes. "I touched the Dark Energem, there's no good left in me," he growled at them, frustrated. He then looked at Jeremy when he cleared his throat and waved lightly.

"Jeremy touched the Dark Energem and he's fine," Shelby pointed out. "And if that's true, why did you help us against Badusa?" she challenged, and he hesitated, thinking about the fight only a few days ago.

"There's one thing that's been bugging me for some time now," Ari spoke up, earning their attention. "Wish Star," they frowned.

"What about him?" Tyler asked, not understanding.

"Other than Teddie and Chase, you all made wishes, right?" she reminded them, and they nodded.

"I didn't," Jeremy supplied with a smile, and Teddie shot him a droll stare. "Just keeping the facts straight," he told her with an innocent smile.

"You're an idiot," Teddie told him.

"Aw, you do care!" he exclaimed.

"At any rate," Ari sighed. She was really starting to understand how Cam felt, back when he'd tried to explain things during their time as Rangers. "That was when you showed up," she turned back to Heckyl, who frowned.

"Yeah, because the wishes all went bad," Chase folded his arms, not understanding.

"Yes, but there's two key points there that you've missed," Ari said patiently. "One, the wishes all came true. Kendall wished for a hero, and who shows up?" they frowned, and looked to Heckyl.

"Yes, but as he says, the wishes all went bad," he pointed out. "I was there to take the Purple Energem," he reminded her. Ari rolled her eyes, losing the patient air.

"Okay. Let's try that again. The wish came true. A hero showed up. The wish went badly. But did you actually _get_ the Energem?" she challenged, and he stiffened.

"She's right," Ivan realised with a nod.

"I..." Heckyl shook his head and stood up. "Think what you like, but there's no goodness left in me," he went to leave, but Teddie caught his wrist. He started to pull away, but her stubborn look made him stop.

"You say that, but like Shelby said, you helped us against Badusa. You helped _me_ against those Vivix that would have destroyed me yesterday. Like it or not, you've changed," she told him. A glimmer of fear passed through his eyes before his own stubborn look won through, and he tugged his arm free.

"Enjoy your last day on Earth, Rangers," he sneered as he pushed past Shelby. "I know I will," Heckyl walked off, and Chase huffed.

"Still can't believe you wouldn't let me punch him," he complained, and Olivia shrugged.

"I think you punching one person who we're not actually fighting is enough for a while, don't you?" she asked. Jeremy gave another little wave, and Chase's face warmed.

"We better warn Spencer that there's a potential monster in New Tech," Teddie stood, and they looked at her in surprise. "And figure out what to do against the others," she added, and they nodded, heading back down to the base.

* * *

"Heckyl said Sledge planted six more, all over the planet," Shelby finished explaining as everyone stood in the base. They watched the egg on the table warily, as it glowed a gentle green.

"They're about to hatch and destroy the Earth," Tyler explained.

"Good heavens," Philip murmured, his grip on Arianna's hand tightening at the thought of a Greenzilla monster in his own kingdom. Ivan looked just as pale.

' _We can take care of the one in our city_ ,' Bridge spoke up over the communication channel open with SPD.

' _Yeah, Kat got the SWAT flyers in perfect order_ ,' Jacob nodded.

' _Just in time for you guys to smash them up again_ ,' Kat rolled her eyes. The SPD Rangers smiled, knowing she wasn't serious.

"Where's Annie?" Teddie noticed the Silver Ranger was missing. Immediately the SPD Rangers exchanged looks, and their attention fell on Bridge, as he looked away innocently. Before anything could be said, the alarms started blaring on both ends.

"It's started," Kendall warned. "The one in New Tech City has hatched," she told them.

' _We've got this_ ,' Spencer grinned confidently.

' _What about the seventh monster_?' Sky asked suddenly. ' _Don't you guys only have four Megazords now_?' he reminded them, and the Rangers all exchanged worried looks. He was right, they'd lost access to the Tupux Zord. While Ari had infused it with her spirit, it had been ripped away from her by the much greater power of the Dark Energem.

"We'll handle that," everyone looked to Ari, who had just gotten off the phone. "It's Theo's birthday tomorrow, so the Jungle Fury Rangers are in Ocean Bluff. Lucky, huh?" she winked, making them laugh lightly.

' _Good luck out there, all of you_ ,' Sky told the group, before the transmission ended. The alarm blared again, and Kendall looked back at her computer.

"Another Greenzilla just hatched in Tokyo," she warned.

"Seems like we're next," Ivan's quiet voice made them whirl around to see that the egg in the base was glowing brighter.

"Stand back!" James yelled, and Tyler, Chase and Shelby grabbed their blasters, shooting the egg and destroying it.

"That was too close," Teddie sighed with relief as the remains of the egg were scattered on the table and floor, with green ooze dripping from around it.

"Gross..." Jeremy complained, wiping the bits that had splattered his shirt from the close proximity. The alarm beeped again, and a map showed up on the console, showing alerts all over the world.

"Oh no...Zandar, New Zealand, Ocean Bluff and England. Four more Greenzillas," Kendall looked close to being sick as everyone stared at the monsters that had hatched.

"Just like Heckyl say..." Koda murmured.

"I'm heading to Ocean Bluff," Ari slipped on a pair of sunglasses with a gold trim, and smirked.

"Sunglasses?" James frowned.

"Hey, the Jungle Fury Rangers kick butt, _and_ look good doing it," she gave a two-fingered salute, and vanished in a small burst of gold sparks.

"If the world wasn't at such risk, I'd question that more," Philip commented.

"Solar Morphers. My dad built them," Jeremy explained briefly.

"Explains why you're always wearing sunglasses," Olivia commented.

"Hey, I always look good kicking butt," the Silver Ranger argued.

"Rangers, this will be the greatest battle you have ever faced," they turned to Keeper as he spoke up, the brief easy air fading. "No matter how hopeless it may seem, you must never give up," he told the group as the Rangers all stood with him.

"Don't worry Keeper," Tyler smiled confidently. "We didn't come this far to give up now," the rest of the group nodded with a smile.

"They may have six monsters, but thanks to our friends, we have six Megazords," Chase grinned, looking just as determined.

"Rangers, join me," Keeper lifted his staff as it began to glow. The Rangers called on their swords, and held them up to the staff. "All together, we must fight to survive, and save the universe," the group Morphed, their energy filling the base.

"Keeper, Arianna and I will oversee the battles around the world from here," Kendall said as she lifted off her helmet. Arianna smiled, walking up to stand with the Purple Ranger.

"Good luck out there, and be careful," the Mercurian told the group. Philip took her hand, giving it another squeeze as she smiled at him, but her worry and fear was evident in her features.

"All four Megazords at once," Tyler looked to his friends.

"Let's go," Riley called, and the Rangers hurried off. Arianna glanced to Kendall, who looked just as worried as she felt.

* * *

The Greenzilla in Ocean Bluff roared loudly, using its tail to smash through a building. People ran to safety, screaming in terror.

"I thought this had stopped!" one man shouted in fear, remembering when Ocean Bluff had been targeted for monster attacks.

"Don't just stand there and question it!" he was pushed out of the way of falling rubble, and barely managed to stay standing. He whirled around, staring at what had almost ended his life. "Get to safety!" a young girl with dyed hair shouted to him, and he nodded.

"R-right, thank you!" he shouted, taking off as the girl looked around, making sure nobody was stuck. She tucked a strand of her pink hair that had fallen from its ponytail behind her ear, but as she went to leave, she heard a rumbling thud and looked up. The Greenzilla roared, and she backed away in fear.

"Wolf Beam!" a blast of purple energy slammed into it and threw the monster backwards. The girl turned, and her eyes grew wide as she stared up at the two Megazords that faced it down.

"I can't believe we're doing this again," Casey commented from the cockpit of their Megazord, standing in a fighting stance.

"You and me both," Theo agreed.

"Lighten up you guys," Lily couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah guys, you know Lily isn't going to let you complain," Ari laughed. The Yellow Ranger rolled her eyes with an amused smile. "And come on, we can't let the world end the day before Theo's birthday! Come on!" she cheered.

"You guys haven't changed," RJ laughed from his own Megazord. They all looked up as the Greenzilla recovered from RJ's strike, and the air got more serious around them.

"Come on guys, let's show the newbies how it's done!" Casey called.

"Hey! You guys started without me!" they looked around to see the Rhino Zord ambling towards them, with Dom standing on it's head with his arms folded.

"You were late, Rhino-Boy," Theo called over his shoulder.

"Be glad we hadn't finished him off," Ari grinned.

"RJ was right," they looked to RJ's side as a Bull Zord stood beside the Megazord. "You guys really haven't changed," Minos told them.

"Let's do this!" Casey shouted, and they moved into battle.

* * *

In New Tech City, all civilians were rushed to defensive shelters as the SWAT Flyers flew over the city loudly, swarming the Greenzilla monster that had hatched down town, not far from Piggy's old restaurant.

"That is one ugly dude," Jacob commented as his jet spun through the air.

"No doubt," Kayden nodded, before letting out a yell as tentacles shot out of the monster's back and caught him. "Why is it _always_ me?" the Blue Ranger yelled as he was swung through the air, used as a weapon as the others were forced to veer out of the way.

"Hold on!" Sky yelled, flying in. He ducked under the tentacles and shot up, cutting through the one holding Kayden. His Flyer fell for a moment before the jets kicked back in, and the two flew back.

"Thanks Commander," Kayden nodded. "Any longer and I might have puked," he complained.

' _As long as the Commander doesn't wreck my Flyer_!" Annie shouted over the communication link, making them grin.

"Tell me again Bridge, why did you marry her?" Sky rolled his eyes.

"Because she's funny," Bridge answered, and the others couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

The Rangers called on their Megazords and split off to the four destinations: New Zealand, Tokyo, Zandar and England, ready to defend and destroy the Greenzillas.

"Dino Drive Activate! Dino Super Drive Sabre!" the Rangers all gained their armour as Tyler, Shelby and Koda took the Dino Charge Megazord to Tokyo, while the Ptera Charge Megazord with Ivan, Chase, Riley and Olivia went to England. Philip and James took the Plesio Charge Megazord to Zandar, leaving Teddie and Jeremy to defend New Zealand in the Titan Charge Megazord.

"Let's do this!" Teddie cheered.

"Time to destroy those Greenzillas!" Tyler yelled.

* * *

The fighting was well underway in all six locations, and Kendall, Arianna and Keeper watched from the base.

"Lots of reports coming in," Arianna murmured, her attention drawn to the side screen that was showing news reports all over the world of the fighting going on. "I hope the Rangers can handle it," she gulped, before the alarm blared loudly. "What's going on now?" she asked, worried, turning to Kendall as she went to the computer. Kendall's eyes narrowed.

"Vivix all over town," she murmured. "They must be taking advantage of almost everyone being gone," Kendall pulled off her headset and handed it to Arianna. "You guide the Rangers, I'll go out," she told Arianna, who's eyes widened.

"M-me?" she gasped. "No way, I can't-"

"Arianna," Kendall took her hand. "You are so much stronger than you believe. You've grown so much since we met," she smiled at Arianna, who looked terrified. "I trust you can help the Rangers. After all, you've been helping us all since you got here," Kendall pointed out, leaving her headset in Arianna's grasp. She lifted her helmet, and pulled it back on, heading to the exit. "You'll do great," the Purple Ranger told her, and disappeared out.

"Kendall is right, Arianna," Keeper spoke up as he approached. "You have been the heart of this team at times of great need. And you fight with true power. You would have made a fine Ranger as well," Arianna went red at his praise.

"Thanks Keeper, but uh," she put the headset on. "One step at a time, maybe?" she requested with a weak smile. He nodded, and they turned back to the screens as everyone continued to fight. Arianna's gaze was drawn to the mass amount of Vivix that had gathered in town. "Kendall can't do this alone..." she frowned, before her eyes lit up. "I don't have power, but I know others who do," she smiled.

* * *

"Come on guys!" Tyler shouted to Shelby and Koda as they were grabbed in the monster's tentacles.

"We're trapped!" Shelby cried as they struggled.

"Split apart!" Koda suggested, and their T-Rex, Tricera and Stego Zords split apart, freeing them from the monster's grasp. They then reformed and stood tall against the monster.

"Tricera Drill!" they stabbed at the monster, making him roar in agony before they slashed the Stego Sabre down his chest, shoving the monster back even more and stunning him as the cut seemed to almost glow.

"Dino Super Drive Sabre! T-Rex Zord, Final Strike!" the T-Rex head on the Megazord fired a powerful blast of fire that engulfed the Greenzilla. The massive green monster shrieked, and exploded, making the three cheer.

"That's the Greenzilla in Tokyo down!" Shelby cheered.

' _Awesome work guys_ ,' Arianna praised. ' _I'm routing you guys and the Zords to help the others_ ,' she told them.

"Sounds good," Shelby nodded.

* * *

"Relax!" Wrench told Sledge, who looked more rigid than usual, as the robot fixed the white jacket that barely fit the bounty hunter. Ryan leaned against the wall, his arms folded and his eyes glittering with impatience.

He didn't know why he had to wait and see what happened with the Greenzilla monsters. He had proven he was able to destroy them Rangers themselves and collect their Energems, but Sledge seemed to have something more planned. And with him holding onto the Dark Energem, Ryan couldn't challenge him.

At least, not yet.

The smallest of smirks tugged at the Dark Ranger's mouth. He could feel himself growing stronger and stronger with every passing hour. Soon, he wouldn't have to wait.

"You look sharp, Master Sledge," Wrench said, looking formal in his top hat and bow tie.

"Oh...I think I'm gonna throw up," Sledge groaned as the robot fixed the white top hat his master wore. Ryan thought he looked ridiculous, wearing a white tailed jacket over his armour, as well as a white bow-tie, but he wasn't the one unfortunate enough to be marrying him. The music started, and Sledge jumped. "Ah! There she is," this time Ryan couldn't hold back a snort as Poisandra was carried into the room by Vivix wearing formal attire as well.

"Waiting millions of years was worth it!" Poisandra declared, wearing a white dress and veil as Curio tossed confetti. As she was hoisted high into the air, Sledge jumped again, almost falling over before Wrench caught him. "Here I come!" the bride sang, giggling to herself.

"Ay-yi-yi, what have I done?" Sledge groaned as everyone was forced to clap.

"We'll be together, forever!" Poisandra giggled.

"Yes dear..." Sledge sighed, resigning himself to what was happening. Ryan rolled his eyes, before kicking a rat that got too close to him. It landed directly in front of the Vivix carrying Poisandra.

"Ah! A dungeon rat!" a Spikeball shrieked. Everyone else started to scream as Wrench hid behind Sledge, and Ryan watched them.

"Now this is more like it," he commented as the Vivix reared back, and toppled over, tossing Poisandra into the cake. He burst out laughing, doubled over as she then crashed to the ground.

"Poisy!" Sledge roared, rushing to her side. "At least things can't get any worse..." he grumbled.

"Master Sledge!" Fury rushed in suddenly. "The-" he stopped abruptly as he saw the chaos in the room, as Ryan continued to laugh at Poisandra. The bride, covered in icing, was wailing on the ground. "The Rangers have defeated the Greenzilla in Tokyo, and the egg in Amber Beach is missing!" the cat recovered and turned back to Sledge.

"An egg is missing?!" Sledge roared. "This wedding may be destroyed, but my plan won't be!" he declared. "Out of my way!" he shoved past everyone. "Wrench, trace the location of that last egg, Snide, you get down to Earth and-"

"Me?!" Snide cut him off. "Send the boy! No-one cares if he gets left behind!" Snide told him, gesturing to Ryan.

"I have a name," Ryan wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "But I'd be happy to trash a few Rangers," he grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"No. I need someone I can trust to get that egg," Sledge told him. He tapped Snide's chest. "Good luck!" he nodded, walking away.

"What, you can't trust me?" Ryan asked as he followed Sledge out of the room, aware Snide was glaring at him.

"Well, _can_ I?" Sledge's glowing red eyes met his dark ones, and Ryan smirked. He shrugged, turning away.

"Fair point," he allowed.

"Leave it to Snide. You'll get another chance soon enough," Sledge told him. Ryan shrugged, knowing that was true, whether Sledge allowed it or not.

* * *

"It's too strong!" James groaned as the Plesio Charge Megazord jolted from another blow.

"We can't give up!" Philip shook his head. "I won't let everyone down! Pachy Wrecking Ball!" he used the mace to slam into the Greenzilla monster. It roared in pain, reeling back away from them.

"You're right," James nodded. "We can't quit now. One monster's down already, we can do this!" he shouted, and they continued to fight.

* * *

"Ptera Lightning Blitz!" Ivan threw out a hand, and the lightning attack hit the Greenzilla they fought. It roared, but remained standing. "Our attacks aren't strong enough!" he frowned.

"Scelido Shield!" they blocked a retaliating blast that shoved them backwards. "We need more power!" Olivia called.

"Then let's amp them up!" Chase grinned.

* * *

The Titano Charge Megazord slammed into the Greenzilla that was attacking New Zealand, but their axe was caught by a clawed hand.

"Come on!" Teddie yelled, and they threw a punch. The Greenzilla's grip slackened, but it then countered with a strike, raking its claws down the front of the Megazord before pushing them back.

"This dude is strong," Jeremy complained, barely remaining on his feet.

"You're right about that," Teddie frowned. She shook out her arms, and moved back into position. "Let's keep at it!" she called, and the Silver Ranger nodded.

* * *

"Para Zord, Fireball Finish!" with a powerful blast from the Para Zord arm on the Megazord, the four Rangers blasted the Greenzilla. The explosion rocked the area, however, the monster burst out of the smoke, only slightly scorched.

"What? No!" Olivia cried in horror.

"It survived?" Riley gasped.

' _Only the Greenzilla in Tokyo has been destroyed. Come on guys, you've got to win_!' Arianna cheered them on, and they stood taller, determined to put an end to the monster.

* * *

Kendall cried out as she was shoved around by the Vivix that surrounded her. There were too many to fight alone, but the Rangers were all occupied.

"I won't be useless in this fight," she whispered to herself, determined to do her bit. Pushing herself up, she grabbed her blaster and shot at the monsters around her, kicking out and continuing the fight.

It wasn't long, however, before she was tossed to the ground by a blast from one of the Spikeballs that had accompanied the Vivix, and her blaster flew from her hand.

"It's over, Ranger!" the Spikeball laughed as it approached her. Before it reached her, a silver light pierced it, and the monster screamed before exploding.

"What?" Kendall gasped.

"Huh. Guess they still make the footsoldiers as lame as ever," her eyes widened as she saw another Ranger walking towards her, in a Silver suit and carrying a bow in her hand. However, she was clearly female, and the suit wasn't anything like what Kendall had seen. "You must be Kendall," the woman offered her a hand as the visor on her helmet lowered.

"How did you-"

"I'm Zoe, Ari's friend," Kendall wasn't sure her eyes could get any wider as she accepted the hand and got back to her feet. "Arianna called her dad and his old team, and they called in the rest of us," Kendall frowned, before she saw other Rangers fighting around the area. "And some Ninjas came to help too," Zoe added.

"But...why?" Kendall asked, tilting her head. Zoe smiled.

"Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger. Surely Ari's said that about a million times already?" the Moon Ninja asked, chuckling.

"You say it just as often, you know," a blonde man nearby commented as he flipped a Spikeball.

"You're just bitter because I got my powers back, Hunter," Zoe retorted. The man rolled his eyes.

"I'd be less bitter if you and Ari stopped rubbing it in," he muttered.

"Thank you," they turned back to Kendall. "For your help," she said. Both shrugged.

"It's what we do," Hunter told her in a softer voice, before turning and kicking out at the Vivix rushing him.

"We better keep going, it doesn't look like these creeps are letting up any time soon," Zoe told them, her visor sliding shut. Kendall nodded, and after thanking them again, ran off to help. "Faceless freaks! You remind me of the Kelzacks," Zoe punched the Vivix that came at her.

"I didn't think we'd be doing this again," Hunter admitted as they finished off the ones around them.

"Hopefully it's just a once off," Zoe touched his hand. "Let's keep going. Though not that way," she stopped Hunter from moving. "Kira's over there, and she's going nuclear on the guys who've messed with Ryan," she pointed out.

"Good point. I'd like to keep my hearing," he nodded, hurrying in another direction.

* * *

"Okay, this guy is stronger than I thought he'd be," Casey confessed as the Jungle Pride Megazord was forced back several steps.

"Maybe we're just out of practice," Lily suggested.

"Rude!"

"I disagree, and yeah, what Ari said."

"Wow, who'd have thought we'd have Ari and Theo agreeing on anything?" Dom laughed.

"Come on guys, let's use our full power!" RJ shouted.

"Right! Let's use everything we've got!" Casey suggested to the team. They nodded, and put a fist to a hand. "Calling on Shark and Gorilla Zords!"

"Calling on Elephant and Penguin Zords!"

"Calling on Bat and Antelope Zords!"

"Calling on Spider Monkey, Squirrel and Frog Zords!" the Zords all gathered together, all glowing with the three Megazords and Mino's Bull Zord.

"Animal Spirits, Full Fury!" the lights merged together and flew out, hitting the Greenzilla. The monster roared, and exploded.

"Oh yeah! We still got it!" Casey laughed as the others cheered.

* * *

The Greenzilla in New Tech City crashed to the ground, smoking but still alive. With a snarl, it got back up, and faced off against the SWAT Flyers.

"Man, this guy doesn't know when to quit," Z commented.

"Yeah, it's kinda sad," Syd agreed.

"It's a monster guys, it's go hard or go home with them," Kayden pointed out.

"Let's form the Megazord and finish him off!" Bridge told them.

"Go hard or go home ourselves!" Jacob grinned.

"Now you're getting it!" Spencer nodded with a laugh, and the Zords flew together.

"SWAT Megazord!" the Rangers combined their Zords, forming their powerful Megazord and facing the monster. It roared, not intimidated by the change, and rushed them again.

"Too slow!" Sky fired a blast that tossed the Greenzilla monster back, and they flew into the air. "Delta Enforcer!" they changed forms, taking the shape of a blaster. "Fire!" the monster roared, trying to deflect the attack, but it was too powerful, ripping through him and destroying him. "Great work guys," Sky nodded.

' _And hey, you_ didn't _wreck my Flyer_!' Annie cheered. Sky sighed as the others started to laugh again.

* * *

The loud shriek of a Ptera-Cry echoed through Amber Beach, and Hunter winced, glad that he wasn't fighting against the furious Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger, who, it seemed, had found her Ranger suit to be holding her back.

With a powerful thrust, Hunter's palm connected with a Vivix' chest, and a shockwave burst out, crackling with electricity. It floored the monsters around them, and Hunter turned, only to see a shorter blond sprint past. His eyes widened in horror.

"Miles, stop! You shouldn't be here!" he yelled at his 12 year old son, who kicked one of the monsters back.

"I'm fine dad!" Miles insisted. "I know how to fight!" he told his dad, who fought to get to him. However, another Spikeball blocked his path, and Hunter's eyes narrowed in a dark look.

"Bad move," he growled, slamming his fist against the monster. As he continued to fight, the young Thunder Ninja fought nearby, only for a Spikeball to hit him across the chest. He let out a cry before he could stop himself, hitting the ground. Tears stung at his eyes as he struggled to catch his breath. While he'd been training since he could walk, he was still very inexperienced, and had never been in a real fight. "Miles!" Hunter yelled, seeing him on the ground.

"Dad..." Miles whimpered as the Spikeball stood over him, chuckling.

"Say goodbye, brat," he raised his club, but before it could land, the club started to glow blue, and was yanked from his grasp. "W-what?!" the Spikeball whirled around, and let out a choke. "Not you!" he whimpered, before screaming as Heckyl threw out his other hand and slammed blue energy into him. The energy spread, destroying the Vivix around as well.

"What?" Miles whispered, staring at Heckyl as he looked disdainfully at the Spikeball's club in his hand, and dropped it.

"Miles!" Hunter took out the last of the Vivix, and Miles got up as Hunter reached him and hugged him tightly.

"Miles?! What the hell are you doing here?" Heckyl looked around, his eyes widening as he saw another Power Ranger storm towards them. She demorphed, revealing a woman around Ari's age.

"Mum..." Miles gulped, and Zoe hugged him.

"You could have been killed, you idiot! Never do something like that again!" Zoe dropped down and hugged him tightly.

"I'm okay...that guy saved me," Miles said, his voice muffled. Zoe looked up, and Heckyl took a step back nervously as the two Ninjas studied him.

"You saved him?" Zoe asked, looking suspicious.

"I..." Heckyl wasn't even sure why he'd even done it. Zoe then walked up to him, and smiled.

"Thank you," she spoke in a soft, genuine voice. He stared at her, not having expected gratitude. The only one who'd ever thanked him was Teddie.

" _Wait," Teddie caught his arm, demorphing and looking up at him as he glanced around at her. "Thank you. For helping us," Teddie spoke softly as he watched her._

" _You saved me. From the Vivix," she accused him._

" _I didn't. I destroyed Vivix that got too close to where I was," Heckyl corrected her stiffly._

" _Thank you," he frowned, and looked at her._

" _I just said I didn't," he told her, in a harder tone this time, but Teddie didn't even blink as he scowled at her._

" _You say that, but like Shelby said, you helped us against Badusa. You helped me against those Vivix that would have destroyed me yesterday. Like it or not, you've changed," Teddie told him._

"Dammit..." Heckyl sighed heavily, and Zoe frowned, wondering just what was wrong. Before she could ask, they heard a noise above, and saw a ship flying down towards the ground. Heckyl's eyes widened, recognising it as one of Sledge's pods, and took off.

"Hey, wait!" Zoe shouted, but he was already gone. "Weird dude," she commented, before turning back to Hunter and Miles. " _You_ , get somewhere safe. We need to keep fighting," Zoe said as Miles groaned. "No arguing, you're in for a world of trouble after this," she warned him.

"Can't you at least be proud that I was able to Ninja-Streak the whole way here?" he asked, and both parents glared at him. Miles paled. "I better go hide," he backed away, before turning and running.

"He takes after you," Zoe told Hunter, who rolled his eyes.

* * *

 **So while this was just one episode, I ended up writing way more than planned, so I split it into two.**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	22. Fight For Survival

**This was a fun one to write!  
**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 22: Fight For Survival

Teddie and Jeremy cried out as their Megazord was tossed around, and they struggled to remain standing.

"We're running low on power," Teddie warned.

"We could really use new Chargers," Jeremy groaned, but it didn't seem like they'd be getting the help any time soon.

* * *

' _Guys, how are you holding up_?' Arianna asked to the four Rangers fighting in England.

"His tentacles! We can't get free!" Chase groaned.

"Stego Sabre!" they were suddenly cut free by a sword slash, and the Ptera Charge Megazord crashed to the ground.

"Hey guys!" Tyler called as they looked up in surprise.

"Tyler, Shelby, Koda!" Olivia smiled with relief as the Dino Charge Megazord stood with them.

"Hey guys, let's finish this!" Shelby told them as they got back to their feet.

"Just in time!" Ivan nodded with relief. They turned to face the Greenzilla together.

"Sorry it took so long to get here, but we thought you might need a hand," Tyler smiled.

"Boy are we glad to see you," Riley sighed.

"Let's finish this jolly green jerk," Chase grinned, confidence restored as they prepared to fight. "Para Zord Blast!"

"Tricera Drill!" the energy blast collided with the Greenzilla, before the Dino Charge Ranger cut through it, destroying it.

"Monster extinct!"

* * *

The Plesio Charge Megazord fell backwards again, and the two Rangers struggled to get back to their feet.

"This thing is so strong," Philip leaned on his console, and James nodded.

' _Come on guys, you can do it_!' Arianna cheered them on. ' _There's only two Greenzillas left to beat! You've got this_ ,' she told them.

"She's so confident in us," James couldn't help but chuckle.

"Then we can't let her down," Philip pushed himself up completely. "Let's finish this vile creature! Pachy Wrecking Ball!"

The Greenzilla roared in pain as the mace slammed into it's shoulder, which had already taken several hits. Before it could recover, they pressed the blaster to it's face.

"Plesio Blast, Final Strike!" with one final blast, they destroyed the Greenzilla.

"Monster extinct," James grinned, and both sank to the ground, exhausted.

* * *

"Whoa!" Teddie cried out as the tentacles wrapped around the Titano Zord.

' _Hey guys, hear you could use some chargers_!' their eyes widened as Tyler contacted them. ' _They're on their way_ ,' he told them, and the two laughed.

"Awesome!" Teddie cheered as the Chargers arrived with them, powering up the Titano Zord.

"How have you still got so much energy?" Jeremy laughed. "Come on, now we've got a chance!" he told her.

"Right!" they attacked the Greenzilla again with a powerful swing.

"Titano Zord, Final Colossal Crush!" the two yelled, and with a powerful slash, they destroyed the monster.

"All the Greenzillas are finally extinct," Jeremy grinned, high-fiving Teddie.

* * *

"They did it!" Arianna cheered, bouncing up and down. "They beat all the Greenzillas!" she laughed.

"I knew they would," Keeper nodded with a confident and proud smile, watching Arianna celebrate.

"I-" Arianna stopped, her smile fading as there was a massive crash above them, and the entire base rocked. "What was that?" she wondered, looking up at the ceiling as dust and small rocks fell.

"Look out!" Keeper suddenly shoved Arianna back, and was knocked to the ground as the ceiling suddenly exploded and rocks fell on the alien.

"Keeper!" Arianna gasped, scrambling to his side. She pulled the rocks off him, and was relieved to see that very little damage had been done to him, but green blood leaked from a wound on his leg and head.

"I'm okay..." he muttered, before a figure landed in front of them with a laugh.

"Snide..." Arianna breathed.

"So, your base has been under the museum this whole time," Snide commented as he looked around. "Allow me to provide the museum with two new fossils!" he laughed as his glowing eye landed on the two on the ground. His attention was then diverted, and he hummed. "So, you destroyed the Greenzilla egg. It doesn't matter now. I'll kill you both!" he declared, and spun around with a powerful slash. His attacks destroyed the Crystal Beds, and Arianna put her hands to her mouth as Keeper cried out in horror.

"You're not winning this, Snide!" Arianna stood up.

"You think that you can defeat me? You're weak!" Snide snarled, running at her and leaping over Keeper as Arianna dodged his sword slashes. She threw out her hand, and mercury was thrown at Snide. He cut through it, but it exploded, forcing him back several steps.

"I am _not_ weak! And I'm sick of you idiots telling me I am!" Arianna stood tall, glaring at Snide, who gave a small laugh.

"Maybe you're right," he agreed, and rushed her again. Arianna rolled over the console, and ducked, rolling away as his sword slammed against the shelves, destroying Kendall's equipment and DNA collections. Arianna kicked out, hitting him, but it barely even bothered the monster, who grabbed her by her hoody and threw her backwards forcefully. Arianna let out a cry as she collided with the hard console, and lay on her side as pain immobilised her.

"Arianna!" Keeper limped over to her.

"It's time you two touched the Dark Energem and felt all it's evil power!" their eyes widened as Snide held up the Dark Energem. Immediately the room fell colder, and filled with darkness as Arianna struggled to catch her breath, winded from the blow. "Your friends can't protect you this time," Snide laughed, only for another person to land between them.

"Wrong," Heckyl faced his other self, who stepped back in surprise. "I'll protect her," Arianna stared up at him.

"How _dare_ you interfere?!" Snide roared at him, but Heckyl didn't answer, instead hitting him with a small blast of energy that shoved the monster back. "You've chosen the wrong side, Heckyl!" Snide turned and rushed out of the doors, and Heckyl made to follow, before pausing and turning back.

"Thank you, Heckyl," Keeper nodded as he caught Arianna when she fell.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quietly, but before she could answer, he was grabbed by the collar and yanked away from her. Heckyl let out a cry as he hit the wall, and Tyzonn stood protectively in front of Arianna.

"Touch her again and I'll kill you," he warned.

"No, dad!" Arianna grabbed the Mercurian as Heckyl stared up at the Ranger.

"How many of you are there?" he couldn't help but ask.

"More than you realise. You okay?" Heckyl jumped, and looked up at the Ranger crouched beside him. He'd not heard her approach. He stared at her warily, not recognising the suit, which seemed to have a bird theme.

"Ari, he-"

"He saved Keeper and your daughter. Be grateful," Ari put a hand to her helmet, and demorphed, pulling off the sunglasses. "Sorry I was late, I met up with Ty in town. Good thinking to get the others to help with the problem," Ari called over to Arianna as Tyzonn demorphed as well, making sure she was okay. "And you. Thank you for helping. I knew you were good," Ari grinned, helping Heckyl up.

"Snide, he just left here," he warned her.

"Then let's go stop him," Ari told him, and he paused, surprised, before nodding. "Ty?" she turned to her friend, who hesitated.

"Go dad, I'm fine," Arianna smiled at him, and he nodded. The three hurried out as Arianna and Keeper watched, and Arianna turned to Keeper, starting to tend to his injuries.

* * *

Snide sprinted through town into the old junkyard where the pod had landed, hoping to get away before the Rangers could find him.

"Yes! There's the pod!" he breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted it.

"What? This pod?" Snide stopped, skidding in the loose dirt, as Teddie stood beside it, her blaster raised. "Oops," she fired a blast, and destroyed the pod.

"No!" he roared in fury. Teddie shrugged.

"Believe me, that's only the start. You don't mess with Arianna," Teddie warned him as Heckyl, Ari and Tyzonn reached them. Snide let out a low growl, before Kendall reached them as well, aiming her blaster at Snide.

"You fools think you can stand up to me _and_ Sledge?!" Snide went on the attack, easily outmatching each of the group. He caught Heckyl's wrist as his hand started to glow, and tossed him into the side of a car. Kendall attacked next, only to meet the same fate. "And _you_!" Snide turned to Teddie, and she let out a cry as a tentacle burst from his chest and wrapped around her. "I will finally destroy you," he snarled at her as it wrapped tightly around her chest and throat, lifting her into the air.

"Don't...count...on it," Teddie managed to say, only to let out a choke as the tentacle tightened around her throat.

"Pachy Punch!" Snide let out a roar of pain as the powerful punch connected with his back, and he was forced to release Teddie. James caught her, lowering the girl to the ground as she gasped for breath. Philip grabbed Snide and tossed him away from them.

"Titano Sabre!" Jeremy leapt at him, slashing across his front. Snide screamed in pain and landed in the dirt.

"I told you..." Teddie coughed. "You don't mess with Arianna," she told him as Philip glared at the monster.

"You don't mess with any of them," Ari lifted her sword.

"Thanks guys," Teddie massaged her throat, and James nodded before helping her up, and they moved to stand with the others.

"You okay?" Ari asked as she and Jeremy helped Kendall and Heckyl to their feet.

"Fine," Teddie nodded, a hand still to her throat.

"Oh no you're not, Ranger," Snide growled.

"Snide has the Dark Energem," Heckyl warned them.

"We still have five Energems," Philip spoke up.

"That's not enough power to destroy this!" Snide lifted the Dark Energem. Jeremy immediately froze, his heart rate accelerating at the sight of the gemstone. Even now, he was still terrified of it. Teddie reached out and took his hand, nodding to him.

"It's okay," she whispered, and Jeremy took a deep breath, squeezing her hand before dropping it. The ground then shook, almost knocking everyone off their feet.

"What was-the Ultrazord!" Snide stepped back as the Ultrazord towered over them, setting down the cannon.

"It's over Snide!" Tyler shouted from the cockpit. "We're taking the Dark Energem!" he declared.

"No you're not!" Snide laughed mockingly. "You're in for a _big_ surprise. Magna beam!" he roared, and they all went to move, but nothing happened. "Huh? Magna beam!" Snide tried again, but still remained the same size. "Sledge! Fire the Magna Beam! _Sledge_!" he roared louder, as if he hadn't been heard. Teddie couldn't help but giggle.

"That's new," Ari commented, a hand on her hip. "Don't think I've ever seen that happen," she mused, glancing to Tyzonn.

"Me neither," he agreed.

"Curse you Sledge!" Snide realised he'd been abandoned.

"It's because of me you're in this world, and I couldn't be happier to help you leave it," Heckyl called over to the monster, who let out a snarl like a cornered animal.

"Yeah...sorry about that Snide," he whirled around as Ryan sat nearby.

"Ryan!" Teddie and Jeremy shouted, but he ignored them.

"You knew Sledge was plotting against you, Snide," Ryan shrugged, his dark eyes only on Snide. "He decided you weren't worth keeping around any more. Just like he'll eventually do with me. Difference is, I can fight back," he smirked as Snide growled. "So...I guess this is it. Bye," he stood, and walked away.

"Ready everyone?" Tyler called. "Keeper said it, the Dark Energem _must_ be destroyed," Ryan stopped, his eyes widening as the Rangers stood by Heckyl's side.

"Last chance, Snide," Heckyl warned as his hand lit up. The Rangers lifted their blasters, powering them up as Ari and Tyzonn did the same with their weapons.

"I'll never give up!" Snide vowed.

"Neither will we!" Tyler called. Ryan whirled around to see the Dark Energem in Snide's grasp.

"No!" he yelled, running back.

"Titano Cannon! Lock on Target!"

"You'll never win, Rangers!" Snide vowed.

"We'll see! Dino Super Drive Sabre, activate! Titano Cannon Final Strike!" they fired the cannon at the same time as the others all fired their own attacks, and Snide screamed once again as powerful energy overpowered him. He collapsed to the ground, exploding. Ryan, who had almost reached him, was tossed back, smashing through some crates.

"Ryan!" Teddie called, but Jeremy stopped her from going to him. The surrounding area was destroyed as Ryan let out a yell of fury, before falling to one knee.

"Dammit..." he hissed, covered in blood. He pushed himself up and sprinted off.

"We'll get him back Ted, don't worry," Jeremy told her, hugging the White Ranger as she sighed.

"I hope so," she whispered back.

* * *

Demorphed, the Rangers searched the area for any trace of the Dark Energem.

"There's no way the Dark Energem could survive that explosion," Riley was doubtful that they'd find anything.

"No...there's something still here," Chase told them as he looked around. "I can feel it," he warned.

"And the last time we left it to chance, Ryan found it. Let's not risk having another of him around," Ari said as she examined the bruise around Teddie's throat. "You sure you don't want me to hear it?" she asked, and Teddie nodded.

"I'm fine. Best save the energy, right?" she smiled, and Ari smiled back. "How was it, fighting with the Jungle Fury Rangers again?" Teddie asked, smiling at the thought.

"I'm going to bet it was like nothing ever changed," Tyzonn grinned as he walked over to stand with them. "Because you guys haven't changed," he told Ari, who couldn't help but laugh and shrug.

"RJ and Minos said exactly the same thing," she admitted as Teddie walked away. "Can't help it, old habits die hard, y'know?" Ari laughed.

"You earthlings have the weirdest sayings," Tyzonn told her. His expression then turned a little concerned, and Ari turned, following his gaze, and let out a soft sigh as Teddie approached Heckyl, who had been standing alone awkwardly.

"Hey," she greeted quietly.

"Hi..." Heckyl watched her, his attention drawn to the bruise around her neck.

"It looks worse than it is. I'm just gonna have to wear scarves for a while," Teddie shrugged.

"How are you so flippant about him almost killing you?" Heckyl stared at her, struggling to understand how Teddie worked. She gave a small shrug, not looking away.

"Because he didn't kill me. And he's gone now. How are you holding up?" she asked softly.

"You're...worried about me?" he questioned slowly. Teddie smiled slightly.

"Of course. You were stuck with him for probably a little bit longer than Jeremy had Kerberos," she pointed out, shrugging again. "And even he had some nightmares afterwards," Teddie added.

"The Silver Ranger. He's very close with you," Heckyl commented, looking at Jeremy as he searched with Koda, though looked very reluctant to be doing so. "Are you-"

"Me? With JJ? God no," Teddie giggled, putting her hands to her mouth. She couldn't help but enjoy the red that started to fill his face. "I've known him my entire life. He's like my brother. That's so gross," she couldn't stop her giggles as Heckyl rolled his eyes. "Besides, haven't I made my feelings clear enough?" Teddie finally sobered, tilting her head and meeting his gaze again. Heckyl started to say something, but stopped, shaking his head and instead he caught her arms and pulled her closer, leaning in to kiss her.

"Oli..." Chase groaned, putting a hand to his face as he turned away. "Why doesn't that seem like a first kiss to me?" he asked her quietly. Olivia glanced at the two nearby, and her eyes widened.

"Oh," she turned away abruptly. "Because it most certainly is _not_ a first kiss," she snorted. Hearing them, Ivan fought not to look guilty in any way.

"You're so comforting," the Black Ranger grumbled. Riley patted his arm as Olivia continued to giggle.

"That's rough, buddy," he comforted as Jeremy tried to hide his own laughter.

"Oh yeah..." Ari leaned her head against Tyzonn's chest. "Xander is going to straight up kill me," she sighed, resigned to the fact as Tyzonn patted her shoulder.

"Hey, I didn't kill you over Arianna," he pointed out. Ari lifted her head and shot him an incredulous look.

"Yes, because she fell for a Prince who's also a Power Ranger," she pointed out.

"That was not what I had in mind by 'experiencing Earth', you know," Tyzonn argued, and behind him, Philip cleared his throat.

"Yeah, we can kinda hear everything you're saying," James was laughing as Philip went bright red. Tyzonn offered an apologetic smile as Ari couldn't help but join James in laughing.

"Are you sure?" Heckyl breathed when the two finally pulled apart, not hearing the interactions nearby.

"Of course, you idiot," Teddie sighed, but as she pushed up to kiss him again, they heard a gasp.

" _What_?" everyone looked to Shelby as she stared at the ground. "Over here guys," she called.

"Careful," Ari stopped Tyler from getting too close. "Don't touch it," she warned, crouching beside it. She took a small jar from Kendall, not even surprised that the young scientist carried them on her person, and managed to slip the Energem inside without touching it.

"It's not even scratched," Tyler stared at it as the gem glowed ominously.

"If that blast didn't destroy it, what will?" Chase wondered.

"I can help you," Heckyl spoke up, earning their attention. "Luckily, Shelby and Teddie were right," the two Rangers smiled. "And I want to help. If...you'll let me," he requested.

"Can I-"

"No," Olivia cut her boyfriend off before he could speak.

"When did you stop being fun?" Chase muttered, and grunted as she elbowed him.

"Of course," Tyler nodded. "You're one of us now. We'll finish this together," he said, only for Philip's Dino Com to beep loudly. He frowned, wondering why his was the one beeping, and opened the link.

' _Philip, Fury, he's-_ ' Arianna was cut off by a scream and a loud snarl.

"Arianna!" he called, but the link ended.

"Fury must have found the base," Teddie realised.

"Philip!" James shouted as the Prince took off at a sprint. The Aqua Ranger followed him quickly, calling out again.

"Keeper's injured too," Ari remembered.

"Let's go!" Tyler shouted, and they followed the other two Rangers back to the base.

* * *

 **Two chapters left. It's scary to think.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	23. Looming Extinction

**So this may go a _little_ different.  
**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 23: Looming Extinction

Arianna had finished patching up Keeper, and the two were clearing up as best they could as they waited for the Rangers to return. Snide's attack had damaged almost everything, leaving the computers down and most of Kendall's work destroyed.

"Let's hope the Rangers don't need any more Chargers soon," Arianna looked at Kendall's machine that had been used to build all their equipment. It had been smashed and battered, and would need to be completely replaced. "Keeper, maybe you should take a break," she said to the Guardian as he helped her.

"I'm fine, thank you Arianna," he nodded to her, and she smiled, wincing a little as her own injuries slowed her down. She lifted Ari's own laptop, which was badly damaged, and set it on the console, before hearing a thud. She whirled around, and froze as she came face-to-face with Fury.

"So...this is the Ranger base," he growled, sword raised. "How pathetic," Fury scoffed, his eyes on Arianna as she backed away from him. "Tell me where the Dark Energem is, Mercurian," he ordered her.

"I don't-"

"Don't mess with me!" Fury roared, making her jump. Tears stung at Arianna's eyes as he approached her. "Tell me where it is or I'll destroy you!" he snarled impatiently.

"No you won't!" he whirled around as Keeper attacked him, and Arianna scrambled away. She grabbed her Dino Com, opening a link. After a moment, the line opened.

"Philip, Fury, he's-" Arianna screamed and dove away from Fury's sword, and her Dino Com clattered to the floor.

' _Arianna_!' Fury's foot slammed into the Dino Com, crushing it, and he approached Arianna as Keeper struggled to get to his feet, and fell back down.

"They can't save you, Mercurian. Give me the Dark Energem!" the cat demanded, lunging at her. Arianna scrambled away, and threw out a hand. Her Mercury powers collided with Fury and shoved him backwards into the wall.

"I don't have it!" she shouted back at him. "Snide took it when he left!" Fury gave a rumbling growl and the terrified girl tried to stand her ground. Fury rushed her again, swinging his sword and destroying the lab even more, and kicked Arianna when she dodged his weapon. She cried out, and used her powers to shield herself, but Fury was much stronger, easily overwhelming the girl.

* * *

"Philip, we should wait for the others!" James called as he struggled to catch up to the young man sprinting ahead. Philip didn't even seem to hear him as they reached the museum, and rushed inside. It was so quiet, it didn't seem like anything bad was happening. "Philip!" James tried again as they made it down to the base, but as the doors slid open, Philip stopped abruptly, and James almost collided with him.

"Hand it over, Rangers," Fury had a hand around Arianna's neck, and his sword pressed to her stomach. "Or watch her bleed out," he warned as both Rangers raised their blasters to fire. "Are you that good of a shot?" the cat sneered.

"I'm sorry..." Arianna whimpered, tears spilling down her face.

"Let her go. She's nothing to do with this," Philip told Fury, who snorted.

"Your orders mean nothing to me, boy. She's been a thorn in my side since she got here. I don't see a problem in killing her to get what I want," Fury told them, moving more to shield himself behind Arianna. There was a rush behind the Aqua and Graphite Rangers, and the others reached them.

"Anna," Teddie put her hands to her mouth in horror. Tyzonn moved, but Ari caught his arm, shaking her head quickly.

"Hand over the Dark Energem, Rangers, _now_ ," Fury snarled at them. His sword pressed tighter against Arianna, and she whimpered before she could stop herself.

"Okay," Tyler spoke quickly, lowering his blaster. The others reluctantly did so too, and Fury gave a low chuckle as Tyler took the jar containing the Dark Energem and carefully set it down on the counter between them. As soon as he stepped back to the others, Fury started laughing.

"Pathetic _fools_! This is why you'll lose, you're all _weak_!" he grabbed the jar, and spun Arianna around, shoving her back. She screamed as his sword raked down her front, ripping through her, and she stumbled before hitting the ground. With another laugh, Fury disappeared in a flash of lighting.

"Arianna!" Philip moved to go to her, but Ari beat him to it, pushing him back gently and falling to the girl's side as blood spilled from the deep cut across her stomach.

"Chase, need you here," Ari called over, and the Black Ranger pushed to the front, crouched beside Ari. "I'll do most of the work, you'll need your energy more than me," she told him as both began to glow.

Nobody spoke as they watched, all of them on edge as the two worked hard to heal Arianna. Kendall and Koda helped Keeper, who was dazed, but in much better form that the girl. Tyzonn blinked, looking down at Teddie as she took his his hand, looking scared but still wanting to try and comfort the man. Reminded strongly of Ari, Tyzonn almost smiled, instead squeezing her hand and looking back as James and Ivan stood with Philip, with James putting a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.

After about 10 minutes, which felt much longer, Ari and Chase finally let their glowing fade, and Ari slumped, caught by Tyzonn as he rushed over.

"She'll be fine..." she mumbled, exhausted. Chase stood, and stumbled, caught by Koda and Tyler.

"Dude, that was awesome," Tyler smiled at him.

"Tell me that when the room stops spinning," Chase groaned as Arianna's eyes opened and she sat up.

"Careful," Tyzonn helped her as she put a hand to her stomach.

"I...I'm so sorry," Arianna's eyes filled with tears as she remembered what had happened. "I should have-"

"Hey, it's not your fault," Teddie crouched beside her.

"But he got the Dark Energem because of me," Arianna put her hands to her face.

"And we'll get it back," Teddie told her confidently. "What matters now is that you're okay. We definitely prefer having you in one piece than that stupid thing," she smiled, and Arianna couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

"Thank you," she sniffed as Teddie hugged her.

"Don't thank me, silly," Teddie helped her up, and smiled. "We're gonna get the Dark Energem back as well," she nodded, and Arianna wiped her tears.

"Right," she nodded, before looking up as Philip approached her.

"I-" he was stopped by her practically throwing herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and hiding her face in his chest. Taking a ragged breath, the Graphite Ranger hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to her head.

"See? Way better," Ari mumbled as Tyzonn couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Oh gosh, the blood!" Arianna gasped, starting to pull away. However, Philip pulled her back in. "Philip, I don't want to ruin your-"

"It's fine, stop worrying so much," he told her lightly.

"Ari, maybe you should sit down?" James suggested as he saw her sway slightly.

"I need a nap..." she yawned widely, turning away as Tyzonn still supported her. "Wake me when you find Fury," she told them, leaving to get some rest.

"Easier said than done," Kendall sighed as she looked around the base.

"Ms. Morgan, can you get the systems working again?" Tyler asked her, and the Purple Ranger turned to him.

"Honestly? I don't know. It's all taken a lot of damage. I'll try, and see if we can even get the communication systems back up. If we have that at least, maybe Spencer and his team can help track Fury down," she suggested, and the others nodded.

"Sounds good," Tyler smiled, feeling better now that they had a plan in motion. "Let's get started, Shelby, Riley, can you help Ms. Morgan?" he asked the Pink and Green Rangers, who nodded.

"I don't know about you guys, but I for one am _starved_ ," Jeremy declared dramatically.

"I go upstairs and find some food for everyone. We've had some tough battles," James spoke up.

"Ted, you go with him," Jeremy called over to the White Ranger as she looked up, having been starting to clear some rubble.

"Huh? Oh, sure," she shrugged, following James out.

"Since when is Teddie so obedient?" Olivia wondered aloud.

"She's not, she's just going to get all the food herself first," Jeremy snorted. "So be prepared for her sugar rush, you know what she's like when she's let loose with those milkshakes," he laughed, lifting the boxes on the ground after Tyler had righted the shelves.

"And you thought it'd be a good idea to give her free reign up there?" Riley complained.

"Hey, hyper Teddie is better than hungry, cranky Teddie," Jeremy shrugged, unapologetic. Heckyl blinked, standing taller out of habit as Chase approached him, looking suspicious.

"I won't deny you've changed, mate," the Black Ranger allowed, standing in front of him. "But you hurt Teddie again, and Sledge and the others will be the least of your worries," Chase told him. Heckyl watched him, silent for a moment, very aware of how serious Chase was. He then snorted before he could stop himself.

"People really say those things?" he asked, and Chase's eyes narrowed.

"He's got a point, that was pretty cliché," Jeremy was laughing nearby. "Seriously, dudes gotta stop saying that stuff," he continued to laugh.

"It's not just dudes," Olivia sighed. "Teddie pretty much said the same to me when she found out Chase and I were dating," she told them, and more laughter started to spread through the room.

"She did the same to me," Philip admitted, his arms still around Arianna.

"You never told me that," the blonde looked up in surprise.

"What, you think he'd admit how scared he is of the adorable little White Ranger?" Jeremy laughed even harder.

"I call her the world's most violent cupid for a reason," Chase shrugged, as even he couldn't help but lighten up at the laughter. "She also threatened me," he confessed, walking over to Olivia.

"Guys, how can you find Teddie scary?" Tyler laughed as he lifted a rock easily.

"Not all of us have super strength, Sir Tyler," Ivan pointed out. Tyler glanced to Koda, who was also easily moving the rocks that were piled up in the middle of the room.

"Are...any of you normal?" Heckyl found himself asking, and they all looked at him. Olivia went to raise her hand, and Chase shot her a look.

"Urgh, why'd I agree to learn magic?" she grumbled, dropping her hand to her side.

"Me?" Jeremy grinned, pointing to himself.

"Descended from a long line of Pai Zhuq masters and trained with your many-great grandfather to become a Master yourself, and can summon a big wolf spirit. Hell no JJ," Chase told him flatly.

"I called Minos Gramps once. He tossed me into some bushes," Jeremy admitted with a grin.

"Minos very fun to fight," Koda smiled, having sparred briefly with the bull. Heckyl had to disagree, remembering Snide's fight with the Master.

"So to answer your question, I think Shelby, Riley and James are the only normal ones," Olivia told Heckyl, who nodded slowly.

"Wait, why am I not included?" Kendall asked, having heard her.

"Or me?" Philip tilted his head.

"Ms. Morgan, you own this museum and the base and knew about the Energems before any of us," Shelby pointed out. The Purple Ranger blushed.

"And mate, seriously. You're a _Prince,_ and you're dating an alien," Chase laughed, and Arianna giggled.

"He has a point," she told Philip, who couldn't help but agree as well.

* * *

Food seemed to make all the difference, as everyone felt ready to get back out and fight. Vivix and Spikeballs were running around the city still, but Tyzonn had told the Rangers to save their strength – the others were handling it.

"I think I have it," they all looked up as Kendall spoke, and a screen flickered up in front of her. A moment later, the link opened, and a messy haired man in grey overalls looked at them surprised.

' _Oh! The new Rangers...uh, Commander_!' he shouted quickly, very nervous.

' _What's wrong Boom_?'' Sky asked as he strode in, and his eyes widened as he saw the image. ' _Call the other Rangers back_ ,' he ordered Boom.

' _R-right_ ,' he rushed off, and Sky turned back to the Rangers.

' _We've been trying to contact you for a while, but we couldn't connect at all. What happened_?' he asked.

"Our base was attacked," Tyler explained.

"Twice," Teddie supplied.

' _You're back in touch_?' Spencer rushed into view, followed by the rest of the team. ' _Are you guys okay_?' he asked, having sprinted through the base the moment Boom had alerted them.

"We're fine Spencer," Kendall nodded, smiling softly. Her smile dropped and she blushed as she heard Teddie giggle, while Chase smirked. Spencer rolled his eyes.

"How'd it go with the Greenzilla?" Tyler asked them.

' _We took care of it. What about the rest_?' Sky asked.

"Extinct. We also destroyed Snide," Chase answered, folding his arms. "But Fury took the Dark Energem. Our systems are trashed, are you able to locate him at all?" he asked them hopefully.

' _Let's see_ ,' Kayden moved to the front of the group. As he began to search, Annie frowned from the back of the group.

' _Hey Spence, ain't that the dude_?' she pointed. Spencer glanced to her, and back to the screen, adjusting his glasses. His eyes widened before he groaned.

' _Please tell me you guys aren't adopting the bad guys too_ ,' he turned away, and everyone turned to Heckyl, who frowned a little.

"Too?" he repeated.

"We'll explain later Spencer," Teddie sighed. Spencer shot his sister an irritated look.

' _Teddie_ -'

' _Interrupting what risks being a sibling argument, I got something_ ,' Kayden spoke up.

' _Good, because that was going to be more awkward than watching Annie put you on your face when you annoy her_ ,' Z sighed with relief. Spencer frowned at her as Annie smirked, tugging at her hoody a little.

' _That's funny, not awkward_ ,' Syd argued, and Sky rolled his eyes at the team's inability to focus for very long.

' _She has a point_ ,' Jacob grinned, and Annie's smirk grew as Spencer lost his scowl and couldn't help but laugh.

' _For you maybe_ ,' Kayden muttered. ' _Okay, so it looks like Fury's still in Amber Beach, and he's surrounded by a lot of bad energy. I'll send the co-ordinates to your coms_ ,' he told them.

"What's he still doing in town?" Riley frowned, not understanding.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," James considered.

"Let's get out there and find out what's going on," Tyler told his team.

"Thanks for the help," Kendall told the SPD team, who nodded and watched as they hurried off.

* * *

Fury let out a snarl as he faced down Ryan, his fur scorched and blood dripping from a cut across his face.

"You'll pay for this, brat," he warned, lifting his sword again as Ryan stood opposite him, looking irritated.

"I _told_ you, furbag, I just want the Dark Energem," he said impatiently.

"Master Sledge-"

"Betrayed Snide the minute he was no longer useful. I'm not about to trust someone like that with the Dark Energem. _Give me it_ ," Ryan ordered him. Fury growled low, the rumbling vibrating through Ryan's chest, but no fear followed from the threatening tone.

"Stop right there!" Ryan rolled his eyes and Fury let out another snarl as the Rangers and Heckyl arrived.

"Great. They wouldn't be a problem if you would just _listen_ to me!" he snapped at Fury, and turned to the group. "Butt out. Before I destroy you too," Ryan warned them coldly.

"Can't do that. We're here for the Dark Energem," Chase told him. Ryan rolled his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Cover your ears!" Chase warned, and they managed to do so, but were floored as Ryan let out a screech that slammed shockwaves into them and made Fury roar in pain. Forced to drop his sword, he covered his large sensitive ears with his clawed hands.

"Why is the Dark Energem affecting him so differently?" Shelby wondered as they pushed themselves back to their feet.

"No clue, but we have to stop him," Tyler told them.

"Good luck with that," Ryan snapped at them. "Give me it, you stupid animal! I need the power!" he ordered Fury, who growled back.

"Master Sledge gives the orders, not you!" he snapped back. "So get out of my way!" Fury demanded. Ryan watched him silently for a moment, before giving a sigh.

"I really hoped it wouldn't come to this," dark power filled the air, and everyone took a step back out of instinct. Fury roared, throwing himself forwards to grab his sword, but was too slow as Ryan threw his hands out. Dark purple and navy energy flew from them, sparking off his arms as his eyes darkened, and the dark power slammed into Fury. The cat-like alien screamed in pain, and a smirk spread across Ryan's face.

An explosion rocked the area, throwing everyone back several paces as a shockwave burst out from Fury. When the smoke cleared, Fury's sword clattered to the ground, with some scorched fur of the alien.

"He destroyed Fury..." Riley breathed heavily, staring at the sword on the ground.

"After all this time, my captor is..." Ivan couldn't bring himself to finish. All of them were horrified by what they'd just witnessed.

"He'd still be here if he'd just _listened_ ," Ryan walked over and crouched beside the dust and fur that was left. He brushed it aside, and the Dark Energem shone brightly in the poor light, not even scuffed by the blast. With a chuckle, he lifted the Energem, and sighed happily as the lights spread up his arm and surrounded his body. His dark suit appeared around him, and he laughed, turning to the Rangers. They fell into fighting stances, and he shook his head.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to destroy you just yet. The end has only just begun, after all," they frowned, not understanding what he meant. Ryan then threw out a hand, and disappeared as a blast of energy shot up a pillar of smoke, allowing him to escape with the Dark Energem.

* * *

"I can't believe he destroyed Fury, just like that," Tyler commented as they returned to the base, still shaken from what they'd seen.

"The Dark Energem has completely taken over his mind," Heckyl considered aloud. "But more than that, he's completely reliant on it. He destroyed someone who was supposed to be his ally just to get it again," he pointed out.

"I wonder what he meant by 'the end has only just begun'," James repeated.

"Did you say that Fury was destroyed?" Arianna asked, having been clearing up with Tyzonn as best they could. The group nodded.

"Ryan destroyed him to take the Dark Energem," Teddie confirmed, and Arianna stared, speechless. "Then he left without fighting us, saying that it's only just begun," she folded her arms and leaned against the table. "I don't get why he'd not just finish us off now," she commented.

"He's only in it for the power. I don't think he sees any point in destroying us if we're not worth his time," Jeremy pointed out.

"Great, now I'm offended as well as worried," Olivia grumbled. They started to clear up again, all of them still wondering what to do.

"What if the Greenzilla monsters weren't an end-game?" Philip asked suddenly as he handed Shelby what had remained of the DNA samples.

"What do you mean?" James asked, not understanding.

"Well," the Graphite Ranger considered his next words for a moment. "What if the monsters were there for another reason? That if they destroyed us and the world, that would be fine, but if the monsters were destroyed..."

"Then the real plan could be followed through," Heckyl caught on, and Philip nodded.

"You mean to tell me there's more going on?" everyone whirled around at the complaint.

"Zoe!" Teddie dropped the broom and threw herself into the Ninja's arms, making her laugh as she hugged her back.

"Great to see you too kid, it's been too long," Zoe said, always happy to see them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Chase smiled, walking over as Hunter walked in with Miko and Cam.

"Uh...and who are they?" Shelby muttered as Miko waved.

"Oh, this is-"

"Hey!" Zoe exclaimed suddenly. "You're that guy!" she exclaimed, staring at Heckyl, who looked just as surprised to see her.

"You know each other?" Teddie turned to Heckyl, confused.

"Yeah, he saved Miles earlier," Hunter nodded. Heckyl glanced away, embarrassed by his actions. He then cleared his throat, and lifted his head.

"So out of curiosity, how many of you Rangers are out there?" he questioned.

"I told you already," Ari yawned as she walked into view. "More than you realise," she answered.

"Ari!" she groaned as Zoe practically tackled her in a hug. "Are you okay? What happened to you? What's going on?" Zoe bombarded her with questions.

"Zoe, please, stop," Ari groaned as she was swung around in the Moon Ninja's grasp. "Can't we move past this? You've been doing it to me since I was 15," she complained.

"Never!" Zoe declared.

"Guys," Teddie giggled as Hunter sighed. "This is Zoe and Hunter Bradley, Annie's parents and the Silver and Crimson Ninja Storm Power Rangers," she introduced. "And you guys remember Miko," she added. The young Samurai waved again with a smile.

"When the monsters started to swarm the city, Arianna called me and the Overdrive Rangers," Tyzonn explained further. "So we gave a few others a call to help out too," he smiled.

"Yeah, even though Zoe's the only one who still has her powers, the rest of us Ninjas wanted to help," Hunter nodded. "And Kira and Trent are here too," he added.

"Oh, I don't envy the Vivix, that Ptera Scream," Chase shivered.

"The Mystic Rangers too, I guess Xander felt he had to chip in," Zoe rolled her eyes, her arms still around Ari.

"Can you please stop hating on him?" Ari sighed, having given up on her struggles.

"Not until he begs forgiveness," Zoe said stubbornly.

"You're seriously still on about that?" Cam rolled his eyes as he walked in with Mack and the rest of the Overdrive Rangers..

"Without my _permission_ , Cam!" Zoe snapped back at him.

"I still don't know _why_ he had to ask for your blessing to marry Ari," Cam shrugged. "Hey guys, hope you don't mind us all crashing your base," he turned to the Dino Rangers.

"Or what's left of it," Will snorted as he looked around.

"Two monster attacks do that to a base," Teddie shrugged, watching them with a slightly uncomfortable look. "Chase...it's weird, isn't it?" she asked, turning to her brother.

"Yep," he nodded in agreement.

"What's weird?" Tyler asked them as Rose walked over to him with a smile.

"Seeing them now, after, y'know, the whole going back in time thing," Teddie shrugged.

"What's she talking about?" Dax asked, looking blank.

"I thought you told them," Mack said to Rose.

"Didn't have a chance," the Pink Ranger admitted. "You guys remember when we lost our powers?" she turned to the rest of the Overdrive Rangers.

"Yes," they chimed, looking to Ari, who blushed.

"Teddie was on that team that helped protect the Corona Aurora," Rose laughed, and the rest of the Overdrive Rangers double-took, looking at Teddie, who was also now blushing.

"Where's dad? And the others?" Teddie cleared her throat, trying to change the subject.

"Checking for any more monsters. Those creeps were all over town," Ronny explained.

"So...you're _all_ Rangers?" Heckyl asked, looking at the group who had arrived.

"Green Ninja Storm Ranger, Cam, Miko's dad," the Samurai nodded to them as Teddie explained. Miko waved again.

"I can't believe you were a Ranger," Riley blurted out, a fan of the man's work. "That's just, awesome," he blushed as Miko giggled.

"And the Operation Overdrive Power Rangers," Tyler spoke up.

"Mack, Rose, Ronny, Dax, Tyzonn, and unfortunately Will," Ari smirked.

"I thought we'd got past that, Firefly," the Black Ranger complained, frowning at her. Ari shrugged.

"You pushed Ronny into a volcano."

"By _accident_!"

"You didn't really think we were the only ones, did you?" Teddie tilted her head as she looked up at Heckyl, ignoring the bickering.

"I didn't think there were so...many," he shrugged.

"Well," Chase gave a small laugh. "There's a lot more than that," he told him.

"We're only two teams really. Did the Jungle Fury Rangers not come back with?" Zoe asked Ari, who shook her head.

"Nope, they wanted to make sure Ocean Bluff stayed safe after the Greenzilla attack," she told them. "They said to call if we needed the help," she added.

"How do you know past Rangers? I thought you kept your identities a secret," Heckyl questioned. Everyone immediately looked to Ari, who went redder.

"It's not my fault!" she whined.

"Ari was a Power Ranger _five_ times. As in, five different teams. You know, for her hero complex," Will smirked.

"I don't have a hero complex Will! I'll let Xander punch you," Ari warned.

"Yeah, I really do see how Teddie and Ari are related now," James commented, earning several laughs as Teddie shot him a half-hearted glare. Seeing the slightly alarmed look on Heckyl's face, Teddie reached out and took his hand, linking her fingers through his. As he looked at her, the computer beeped, and the communication channel opened up.

' _Hey guys,_ ' Spencer greeted, before adjusting his glasses. ' _Oh, way more of you than I expected_ ,' he grinned.

' _Mum, dad_!' Annie waved over his shoulder.

"You better not be working," Zoe warned her, and Annie laughed lightly.

' _I'm not, trust me_ ,' she told her.

"Why would she not be working?" Ari asked, attempting again to dislodge herself from Zoe's grasp. The Silver Ranger, however, was not budging.

' _How'd it go with Fury_?' Bridge cleared his throat quickly.

"He's gone, Ryan destroyed him and took the Dark Energem," Tyler answered. The SPD Rangers exchanged worried looks, shocked at the news. "He warned us, before taking off. Said that the end is only just beginning," the Red Ranger relayed.

' _Any idea what he meant_?' Sky asked from the Commander's chair.

"Philip came up with a suggestion," James elbowed the Prince.

"I..." Philip cleared his throat, shooting James a slightly irritated look for shoving him into the spotlight. The Aqua Ranger grinned back. "I merely brought up the consideration that the Greenzilla monsters all over the world in an all out attack might not be the end of the plan, but the start," he explained.

' _Those monsters weren't the end-game? That is possible_ ,' Jacob frowned. ' _They could have been used to weak or cripple the planet's defences, and destroying the Dino Rangers would have been a bonus,_ ' he suggested.

"But then what is the real plan?" Ivan asked.

"What could Sledge have planned? And why did it involve the Greenzillas?" Kendall wondered, falling into thought.

' _Maybe to tire you out so that his next attack would succeed_?' Spencer suggested, also looking thoughtful.

' _Wouldn't he have attacked by now? Surely your base isn't secure if you've been attacked twice_ ,' Syd pointed out, looking worried.

"Fury never got back to Sledge to reveal our location," Riley shook his head. "I just don't understand the logic behind having seven massive monsters attack, with no follow up," he frowned.

"If memory serves correctly...there _is_ something about the Greenzilla monsters when they hatch," Heckyl spoke up, thinking about it. "From what I remember Sledge saying, when he found the eggs, they give out massive amounts of energy when they hatch," he said.

"Energy?" Koda repeated, not understanding.

"Yeah...who are you, exactly?" Zoe asked, frowning at him.

"What would Sledge need energy for?" Ari asked, pushing at Zoe. "Seriously? Can you please let me go?" she grumbled.

"Never," Zoe shook her head.

"Hunter can you please remove your wife?" Ari pleaded. The Thunder Ninja looked at her, and smirked.

"Nope," Ari glowered at him.

"You're the worst," she grumbled. "Anyway, what _would_ Sledge use a large amount of energy for?" she asked.

"And surely he wouldn't have needed the eggs if he had the Dark Energem," Ivan considered.

"Sledge only acquired the Dark Energem after Lord Arcanon was destroyed," Heckyl reminded him. "And it's no longer in his possession, since your friend killed Fury to get it," he added, still thinking.

' _He's right about the energy coming out of those things_ ' Kayden called, having been looking into it. ' _There were huge power surges right as the monsters hatched in each area_ ,' he looked up from the tablet he had been looking on. ' _As for why...I haven't a clue_ ,' he shrugged.

' _Way to let the team down_ ,' Z smirked, and he rolled his eyes, smiling back.

' _Did Sledge say anything else when he found the eggs, Heckyl_?' Spencer asked.

"Wait, what?" Zoe frowned.

"Not now," Ari whispered.

"But-"

"Saved your son."

"But-"

"Do I _really_ need to bring up a certain chain of events again?"Ari told Zoe.

"No," Hunter spoke up on behalf of Zoe.

"Why is it that every time we're together you act like this?" Cam sighed as Zoe glowered at her husband.

"Like what?" Ari asked innocently.

' _Like you're five years old_ ,' Spencer supplied.

"I don't remember if Sledge said anything more," Heckyl answered, trying to ignore the conversation going on nearby. "After the crash everything was a little disorientating, and Snide didn't help matters," he added quietly. Teddie squeezed his hand gently.

"There's got to be a reason for it," Chase thought about it. "What about to power something? Like a huge weapon or something?" he suggested.

"We saw the ship," James shook his head. "It was trashed. I'm amazed they could even get it flying again," he said, and Mack nodded in agreement.

"Then what? What could Sledge be using the the energy to power?" Kendall questioned.

"Oh no," Heckyl's eyes widened. "The reanimator," he realised.

"The what?" Koda tilted his head.

"That was how all the monsters you destroyed came back. Wrench built it, but could barely power the thing," Heckyl explained. "But with the energy of the Greenzilla monsters...he could give it almost the same amount of power as an Energem," he told them.

"To restore _all_ the monsters we've fought already?" Shelby demanded.

"And if Wrench has improved it, all at the same time," Heckyl confirmed, pale at the thought. "I told you before that the Greenzillas were to crush your entire planet. I was wrong. This is," the entire room fell silent, processing his warning.

* * *

"There's one thing I still don't understand," Teddie spoke up after a while. The past Rangers, minus Ari, had left to keep an eye out in town. With the systems still down, they were working half-blind.

"What's that?" Arianna asked as she placed a small stack of books on the table.

"Ryan. Why's the Dark Energem affecting him differently? And how was he able to take the Tupux Zord?" she asked, looking around at the others to see if any of them had a suggestion.

"I think I know," they turned to Ari in surprise. "At least, it's just a theory I have. Ryan is very different to anyone. I'm not sure about you, Heckyl, but Jeremy, you bonded to the Silver Energem beforehand, so I think that helped keep you separate," she started, leaning against the desk. "Ryan, on the other hand, has more dino DNA than anyone in a way. Unlike Spencer, Teddie and Chase, or Sam, Wayne or Ali, he has two parents who bonded with the Dino Gems," she reminded the team.

"Dino Gems?" James asked, confused.

"Oh, they were what gave me and the others our Dino Thunder powers," Ari explained. "And I think they were empowered by the Energems, but we'll discuss that later. I think this is why Ryan was completely overwhelmed by the power of the Dark Energem, much like his dad with the evil that had poisoned the White Dino Gem. Trent was turned evil just by touching the White Dino Gem when it was filled with evil, and maybe because of that changing his DNA, maybe it allowed for Ryan to be influenced in the same way," she continued. "As for bonding with the Tupux Zord, well, that was his dad's dinosaur, it makes sense in a way that he was able to bond with it, and, in a roundabout way, made the Dark Energem more like your own," she said, and they looked to their Energems, which remained with them after the crystal beds were destroyed.

"If we destroy the Dark Energem, we should be able to free Ryan," Kendall spoke up. "It's the best chance we have to stop him from destroying us first," she said, and the others nodded. A rumble rocked the base, knocking everyone off balance, and they looked around as more rubble and dust was shaken loose from the hole in the ceiling.

"That doesn't seem good," Ivan commented softly, and another rumble rocked more rocks free.

"Careful!" Tyler pushed Teddie aside and shattered the rock with a powerful punch.

"Thanks," Teddie smiled back weakly at the Red Ranger, who nodded and dusted himself off.

"You all better get out there," Ari told them as she walked into the middle of the room. "It seems that Sledge is putting the plan into motion," she warned.

"What about you?" Kendall asked, looking up at the hole. "This place is getting dangerous, maybe you should leave before the ceiling collapses," she suggested, but Ari shook her head.

"It'll be alright, I'll fix it," she said, making the Purple Ranger's frown grow. Before she could press it, there was another low quake; more violent than the first two. "Go," Ari insisted as her hands began to glow. The group nodded, and took off as Arianna and Miko watched, worried. Taking a breath, Ari raised her hands, using her magic to return the rocks to the ceiling and patch the hole.

"Magic is so cool," Miko commented, and Arianna nodded in agreement.

* * *

The minute they'd stepped from the museum, the group heard screaming nearby, and hurried in their direction. They stopped abruptly, all of them horrified to see monsters reforming all around the area.

"This is really bad," Shelby gulped as people ran off, terrified.

"Scrapper..." Chase frowned, spotting one of the first monsters they'd destroyed.

"Slammer," Olivia noticed the prison-like monster.

"They really are all back," Teddie stared at the sight, unable to hide her fear.

"We've defeated all of these monsters before, and we can do it again," Tyler spoke louder, his determination spreading to the others. They all stood taller at his words, believing in their leader. "Right?" he turned to his friends and smiled.

"Right," Shelby nodded, smiling back.

"We've come this far," Riley nodded as he watched Puzzler. "We're not quitting any time soon," Tyler's smile grew. They stood together, each grabbing their Chargers.

"Dino Chargers!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!"

"Dinosaur Might, Ready To Fight! Power Rangers..."

"Dino Super Charge!" with that, the fighting began.

It was brutal and nobody came out unscathed, each forced take on several aliens each that they had worked together to overcome in the first place.

"Dino Morpher Blast!" Olivia shot Scrapper in the face and kicked him back, before blasting him again. She then let out a cry as she was hit from behind, and Ice Age cackled, blasting her with icy winds.

"Stop!" James was in and punching the frozen alien, stopping his attack and throwing him off enough for Koda to blast him on his way to fight Stingrage. Olivia nodded her thanks to James, shivering from the cold, before turning to continue fighting.

"We need to keep as much energy as we can," Riley warned Teddie as he stood back to back with the White Ranger.

"Right. Ryan will probably show his face soon enough, and Sledge too," she pointed out. The Green Ranger nodded.

"Ryan destroyed Fury, perhaps they'll turn on one another instead," Philip suggested.

"Sledge has been after the Energems for millions of years," Kendall reminded as she shot Stingrage nearby. "I have a feeling he'll put that aside until after he's destroyed us," the Purple Ranger warned them as she ducked under Stingrage's attack.

"Then the sooner we take out these foul creatures, the better," Ivan declared, cutting through Gold Digger.

"You said it!" Chase nodded, having been rushing around with Ninja, easily keeping up with the alien's speed. "Dino Armour X!" he called on his much greater power. "Spiral Attack!" he leapt into the air and started spinning, cutting through several monsters and destroying them.

"Nice work bro!" Teddie cheered, but as she went to hit Meteor, something wrapped around her neck and she was hauled into the air.

"I told you," she struggled for breath as she was turned around, forced to look at Snide as he held her tightly, cutting off her air supply. "I would destroy you, White Ranger," Snide laughed, and his grip tightened on her. Teddie let out a choked whimper, dropping her sword to the ground. Snide's laughter turned to screams as blue power slammed into him, wrapping around him and filling him with pain until the tentacle released Teddie. She fell, and Heckyl caught her, his eyes blazing as he glared at Snide.

"Are you alright?" he asked Teddie as she inhaled deeply, and coughed.

"Thank you," she managed to say, and he nodded, helping her stand. Teddie grabbed her sword, and they prepared to fight Snide again as he breathed heavily. Smoke rose from his body, and he twitched a little from the relief that the pain had stopped.

"You'll both pay for this," Snide growled, standing himself and raising his sword. Before he could start more fighting, they were all blasted to the ground.

"Surprise!" the Rangers looked up as Sledge flew in on his jet-pack, and landed with a thud that shook the ground.

"So you finally showed," Tyler muttered as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Are you ready for your destruction, Rangers?" Sledge taunted as everyone got back to their feet, surrounded by the monsters that remained.

"Never going to happen, Sledge," Tyler shouted to him.

"You defeated me before, Red Ranger, but not this time!" Sledge vowed.

"That's true," their eyes widened as Ryan walked over, Morphed as well. His suit, so similar to theirs, gave off a dark energy that made the air thick and hard to breath as fear instinctively came to the group, whose powers came from positive energy instead.

"You," Sledge growled. "You will pay for what you did to Fury, but later," he warned, turning his attention back to Tyler. "First, the Red Ranger dies," he declared, raising his blaster. Ryan gave a low chuckle, a vicious smirk hidden under his helmet.

It took everyone a moment to register that the Dark Ranger had moved. Sledge reacted first, turning to him, but it was too late.

Everything seemed to slow and grow heavy, as Ryan's fist broke through Sledge's armour, and through his thick skin, emerging through his back. Sledge let out a choke, with blood as green as his skin splattered through his mask while also running down Ryan's arm, and he moved, before his gun dropped to the ground, and the red lights of his eyes faded to darkness.

* * *

 **So just a _bit_ different.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Please review!**


	24. Final Extinction

Chapter 24: Final Extinction

Ivan flinched, jerking away from Arianna out of reflex.

"Sorry," she apologised, pulling the cotton swab back. "I'm almost done," she told him, and the Knight nodded wordlessly as she continued cleaning the cut across his cheek.

The silence was almost deafening in the base as nobody could bring themselves to speak. They were patching themselves up as best they could, thankfully with only minor injuries.

On edge and hating the silence, Teddie stood, and slipped out of the base when nobody was looking. She headed up into the café, which was eerily quiet. The museum had been closed since they'd received the warning about the Greenzilla monsters, and most of the city was evacuated once the monsters had started to appear all over town.

Taking a seat in a booth, Teddie stretched her legs out and snapped her fingers, summoning her guitar. She began to play a few notes, and instantly her tense muscles started to relax as the silence was broken. As she played, her mind went back to what had happened with Ryan and Sledge.

 _No-one could move, staring in horror as Ryan laughed, his suit flickering with a dark aura, before he pulled his hand free from Sledge's chest with a forceful yank, and the powerful alien collapsed to the ground._

" _Yes, now that's the sort of power that gets things done," the young man laughed . Green blood splattered the ground as he flicked his arm to clean it. He then looked up, and shrugged. "What's the matter? Aren't you glad that I took out your enemy for you?" he taunted them. "Come on, it was a win win situation. I get his power, and you don't have to worry about him any more," Ryan shrugged._

" _You got his power?" Heckyl was the first to find his voice._

" _Well he wasn't using it," Ryan shrugged, lifting his bloody hand. "How about I test it out?" the dark aura returned, and he threw out his hand. Heckyl fired his own power, but Ryan was far stronger, cutting through his power and tossing Heckyl to the ground._

" _Heckyl!"_

" _You okay?" Tyler pulled him back to his feet, as scorch marks lined his face and burned through his jacket._

" _Fine," he nodded, but had an arm around his ribs, feeling the effects of the blow._

" _Let's end this now, so I can make your power mine-" Ryan was cut off by a loud scream._

" _Sledge!_ No _!" Poisandra screamed, on her knees nearby._

" _Oh, the pink airhead's here," Ryan rolled his eyes as she wailed, distraught at the sight of Sledge dead at the Dark Ranger's feet. "As I was saying, let's-"_

" _You'll pay for this!" he stopped and sighed heavily as Poisandra growled at him, getting back to her feet. "I'll destroy you, for Sledge!" she vowed, rushing in with Curio. Ryan sighed, and turned to them, throwing out his hand. Curio screamed as the dark energy slammed into him, and threw him to the ground._

" _Stay out of this, you walking lolipop, or you'll suffer the same fate as your sorry excuse for a husband," he warned Poisandra as she turned to her friend._

" _Ryan, please you need to fight this. This evil isn't you!" Teddie pleaded with him. With a sigh, Ryan raised his hand, and Chase stepped in the way, raising a shield. It shattered quickly, and the pair hit the ground._

" _You need to just keep quiet, Teddie. You don't understand anything. Power is the only thing that matters any more," he told her as the others helped them up. He was suddenly blasted from behind, and let out a snarl as he was thrown to the ground, shaking a little from the blow as Poisandra glared at him._

" _I told you that you'd pay!" she snapped as smoke rose from Ryan's suit._

" _If you want to see Sledge that bad, then_ join him _!" Ryan roared, pushing himself up and firing a blast. Poisandra gasped and dove aside, and instead it hit Curio, who was too battered to move. With another scream, the monster made of pillows was destroyed, and Poisandra put her hands to her mouth._

" _Curio...no..." she choked on her sobs, and for a moment, the Rangers almost felt sorry for her. Ryan rolled his eyes._

" _See what you get, for messing with-" he was stopped as power flooded the area, causing a low rumble as Poisandra stood up, wiping her tears away. With a scream of fury, Poisandra threw out her hands, and pink energy slammed into Ryan. He struggled against it, before it exploded, and tossed everyone to the ground._

 _The Rangers landed nearby, demorphing as all of them suffered from the attack. Ryan stood, still Morphed, but his suit sparked, and he rushed Poisandra._

" _We need to get outta here," Riley warned the others as he managed to stand._

" _Let's regroup back at the base," Tyler nodded, and they ran off as Ryan and Poisandra began to fight._

Teddie blinked, looking up as her guitar twanged loudly, and Jeremy sat down with her.

"I hate silence," he declared.

"You're a drummer, of course you do," Teddie smiled, her focus dropping back to her guitar.

"New song?" Jeremy asked as Teddie continued to play notes. She nodded with a soft hum, and he started to tap the table in a beat to go along with it.

"I like it," she smiled at him, and he winked. "I think it should be more upbeat though. My acoustic just doesn't fit it right," Teddie sighed.

"Well, how do the lyrics go?" he asked, and she took a breath.

" _The moment we first meet,  
To make sure it's perfect,  
I'll cast a magic spell._

 _I can't help but smile,  
Whenever you're near me,  
You reach to take my hand._

 _Why do we always ignore,  
All the feelings we have in our hearts,_

 _Till it happens suddenly?_ " she then stopped, playing a few more notes. "That's all I have so far," she explained as she let the music fade.

"Not bad," Jeremy nodded as he seemed to consider it. "I mean, I still think I'd do a better job at writing the songs," he shrugged, leaning back in the booth.

"Sure, whenever you come up with anything, let me know," Teddie laughed, looking back down at her guitar. "Until then, I'll keep doing _all_ the work," she sighed dramatically. Jeremy tossed a straw at her in response, and she giggled. "Hey JJ?" Teddie looked up again. "You ever think about what you're gonna do when we're done being Rangers?" she asked him curiously.

"Huh," Jeremy folded his arms. "No, I mean it happened so fast. I got my Master's Mark, came to Amber Beach and became the Silver Ranger. Then, y'know, got captured and touched by the Dark Energem so y'know, balances out," Teddie smiled at his casual tone. "Maybe teach? Or maybe I'll travel for a bit, like Uncle Dom," he considered.

"Dom and Fran never stop travelling," Teddie laughed.

"What about you?" Jeremy asked her, and Teddie shrugged.

"I dunno. Guess go back to my Mystic studies, go see everyone. Maybe get my Master's Mark," she grinned, and Jeremy laughed. "Then I guess just get back to rocking it out," she considered.

"Sounds like a plan," they bumped fists, both laughing.

"The others wondered where you two had wandered off to," they looked up as Heckyl approached.

"Hey," Teddie smiled softly. "Just needed some noise," she shrugged, moving so he could join them.

"Yes, the silence has gotten rather stifling down there," he agreed, watching as Teddie let her guitar vanish in sparks.

"I'm telling Ari," Jeremy said lightly, and yelped when Teddie's boot connected with his shin. "What? You're the one always going on about not using magic for 'trivial stuff'," he complained, rubbing his leg.

"I sent my guitar back to my room, I didn't exactly cause the end of good magic," she grumbled.

"One day your conversations will make sense," Heckyl commented, and the pair started to laugh.

"Doubtful. Half of them don't even make sense to me," Jeremy grinned, standing. "I'm going to call Cassie. Thankfully she's in Summer Cove at the moment so isn't anywhere near this mess," he said as he pulled out his phone.

"Tell her I said hi," Teddie smiled.

"Right before I ask her to replace you as the singer in my band," Jeremy called over his shoulder, laughing as Teddie rolled her eyes at his words. As Jeremy left, Teddie sighed, and leaned against Heckyl, who jolted a little at her sudden action.

"You alright?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, and Teddie gave a quiet laugh.

"Me neither," she admitted, and he took her hand, resting his head against hers. His heart sped at contact, but he found that it was in a good way. He couldn't deny his feelings for the White Ranger any more, and nor could she. Heckyl gave a quiet sigh, wondering just how things had gone in such a direction. "Hey, did you know Poisandra had that sort of power?" Teddie lifted her head suddenly, turning to him.

"Honestly, no," he shook his head. "I thought she was just an airhead," Heckyl said as he thought about it. "She was pampered and a brat, but I suppose there had to be a reason why Sledge would care about her to the point that he would agree to marry her," he considered.

"Gross," Teddie stuck out her tongue at the thought. Heckyl arched an eyebrow at her attitude. "What? It is!" she defended, her cheeks warming as she saw his expression.

"Maybe she's not the only airhead," he considered, and Teddie couldn't stop a small laugh as she punched his shoulder lightly.

"I am not," she defended, trying to seem offended, but was smiling.

"I'm just saying, you are acting an awful lot like-" before Heckyl could finish, Teddie grabbed his collar and pulled him in, kissing him to stop him.

"You're not funny," she whispered as she drew back slightly.

"I'm hilarious, you just don't get it," Heckyl retorted, closing the gap between them as Teddie giggled, putting her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

"Okay you two, break it up," Jeremy called as he walked in, putting his phone into his pocket. "I don't need you two ruining my innocent eyes," he told them.

"Then don't come in here," Teddie retorted as she drew back, moving to lean against Heckyl and glower at Jeremy, who was smirking. "And besides, you didn't see me complaining when you and Cassie were-"

"We should get back down the stairs," Jeremy cut Teddie off, and she frowned at him but agreed, knowing they'd hidden away for long enough.

* * *

"It looks like Ryan's completely under the control of the Dark Energem," Ari commented as they discussed the fight that had taken place before.

"And he's desperate for power. He killed Sledge for it," Philip pointed out.

"And at this rate, probably Poisandra as well," Heckyl reminded them, and the dark mood over the group grew darker.

"How are we gonna be able to beat that?" Riley wondered. "He's defeated us every single time we go up against him," he sighed.

"He so strong..." Koda agreed, unhappy at the idea.

"Now now, none of that," Ari scolded lightly. "You can't have that attitude. That's not what wins a battle," she told them, and they nodded, but still looked unhappy.

"What we need to do, is destroy the Dark Energem," Keeper spoke up. "That is the source of his power. Without it, he will return to normal, and the greatest threat of all will be gone," he explained.

"But how is that even possible? The Dark Energem is the equivalent to all 12 of your Energems?" Heckyl asked, unable to keep his lack of hope from his question. Teddie squeezed his hand lightly, remembering how Jeremy had been after being freed from the Dark Energem. It had taken a while for him to be completely free from the darkness that had surrounded him.

"He's right," Kendall agreed.

"Yes, Heckyl _is_ ," Chase's eyes lit up and a grin spread across his face.

"I am?" Heckyl asked, not understanding why that was a good thing.

"What are you thinking bro?" Teddie recognised the look on her brother's face. Chase walked to the console, and turned to the group.

" _Exactly_ that. The Dark Energem has power equivalent to all our Energems. So, let's go one step further," he told them, looking excited.

"What are you talking about?" Kendall asked, confused.

"We use _all_ our power. _All_ of the Energems," Chase started as everyone watched, curious as to what he meant. "And a little more. Heckyl, you've got some serious power. And mum," he turned to the woman, who was smiling as she listened to his plan. "You've got power coming out of your ears," Ari couldn't help but laugh at Chase's words.

"You mean, use all our power to _match_ the Dark Energem," Tyler caught on and grinned too, finding Chase's excitement infectious. "And then use extra power to destroy it completely," Chase nodded.

"That...that might work," Kendall's eyes lit up as she thought about it.

"Fighting power with more power," James smiled at the idea.

"It's crazy," Shelby told Chase. "But then again, so's this team," she said with a smile.

"But there's one other thing," they looked to Riley in surprise as he still sounded hesitant. "Sledge might be gone, but his ship is still there. And the other monsters too," he added.

"He's right," Ivan nodded. "We have a lot more than just the Dark Energem running amok out there," the Knight pointed out.

"Don't worry about the monsters. Whatever is left of them, we have several Ranger teams helping out to take them out. And the Jungle Fury team should have arrived by now too," Ari told them with a smile.

"And we could help out a bit too," they whirled around as Spencer walked in with Kayden and Syd. "The Commander was able to spare us-"

"After Spencer bugged him to," Syd smiled in amusement. Spencer glowered at the Pink Ranger.

"Point is, you got three extra hands here. Unfortunately after the Greenzilla, the rest of the team is needed in New Tech," Kayden explained with a slight shrug.

"So point is, you don't need to worry about the monsters. Sledge's ship on the other hand," Ari folded her arms. "That could pose a problem," she admitted.

"But it just Wrench on ship," Koda frowned.

"And he isn't the biggest threat we've ever come across," Olivia nodded, not understanding.

"Yes, but Snide will have figured out a way to get back there," Heckyl spoke up. "And Wrench is a coward, he'll bow to Snide's whims now that Sledge is gone," he warned.

"Okay, then I have an idea," Tyler smiled, and everyone turned to the leader curiously.

* * *

Aware that the monsters that had been reanimated were starting to drop like flies thanks to help from past Rangers, Ryan rolled his eyes, singing to himself as he wandered around, stopping by Sledge.

"In the end, your plan sucked, Sledge," he told the fallen alien. "Again. I mean really, does nobody have a decent plan to get the Energems?" Ryan wondered aloud.

"Of course not," he looked up, mildly surprised. "Because you aren't getting them, at all," Teddie told him confidently. Ryan looked at the group, knowing that something was off. Not that he cared.

"So, you came back to fight me," he commented, kicking Poisandra's lifeless body away. It was scorched and beaten, proof of a fierce fight that had gone down between the pair. Ryan hadn't come off unscathed either, as blood ran from a head wound, and a burn had ripped through the back of his jacket.

"Of course we did," Tyler nodded. "We're going to stop you," he vowed. Ryan gave a small laugh, and his dark suit surrounded him again.

"I'd like to see you _try_!" the power filled the area.

"Dino Chargers!"

"Ready!"

"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" the Rangers Morphed and ran to fight Ryan. He leapt up as they reached him, and kicked Chase across the chest before flipping and grabbing Olivia. She was thrown across the square with a cry, hitting the ground hard enough to bounce and roll along. Ryan was then hit from behind by a blast from Shelby's weapon, and he let out a growl, throwing out energy to hit Shelby. Chase intercepted with his shield, and Tyler punched Ryan before it could break through.

"You are nothing more than ants, and I will crush you all!" he growled at them.

"You're a broken record dude," Teddie told him as she lifted her hands, and they began to glow green. Vines burst from the ground and Ryan rolled forwards to dodge them, hitting them with dark power and causing them to wilt faster than Teddie could restore them.

"And I know your moves, Teddie," he bit back at her, throwing out his hand. Teddie dodged the blast, tossing out an energy-ball to deflect another attack.

"T-Rex Super Charger, activate!" Tyler called on his Battilizer, using Koda and Shelby's weapons as Ryan's temper grew.

"Guys, I have an idea," Riley said as they all breathed heavily.

"What's up?" Olivia asked as Tyler dodged Ryan's attack and kept the Dark Ranger busy.

"He's impatient and has a temper. Let's use that to our advantage," the Green Ranger suggested. "He's not got the best accuracy, so let's focus on dodging his attacks," he told them.

"And let the young villain tire himself out," Ivan nodded his approval.

"Sounds good, but let's not tire ourselves out in the process," Teddie warned.

"We work together, we can do this," Koda smiled confidently as Ryan let out a frustrated yell, unable to hit Tyler.

"Okay, then let's help out our leader," Chase nodded, and they ran back in, firing blasts at Ryan. He grunted as they hit their marks, forcing him away from Tyler.

"Let's hope the others are doing better," the Red Ranger muttered, his breathing heavy already as Ryan recovered.

* * *

Firing a shot, Jeremy silenced a Spikeball before it could call out a warning of intruders on the ship.

"Everyone know what to do?" Kendall asked quietly as they looked around. Everyone nodded as Jeremy hid the large guard out of view. "Okay, Heckyl, you know this place best, can you lead us where we need to go?" she asked, and he nodded.

"We're not far from it, we-" he stopped and they all ducked out of view as several Spikeballs charged past. Once they were sure it was clear, the small group slipped out from their hiding place and moved quickly towards the main control room.

"Perfect, the Rangers are fighting that fool of a boy," Snide was nodding his approval as he watched the fight on screen. It was not going in the Rangers' favour, as Ryan easily outclassed them all in terms of pure power. While they had to try and conserve power, he had enough to match all twelve at once. "Once he's destroyed them, I'll step in and finish him off!" he laughed at the idea.

"Now," Kendall nodded, and fired a shot at the Vivix controlling the machines.

"What?!" Snide was on his feet in an instant, grabbing his sword as Wrench cried out fearfully.

"You really think you can take on the power of the Dark Energem?" Heckyl asked him, genuinely baffled by his other half's way of thinking. "He crushed Sledge in seconds, Fury and Poisandra too," he pointed out as Snide growled low.

"Silence, I don't need to hear your foolish words now, Heckyl," Snide snarled at him, his gold eye flashing. "You would be scared, you've always been weak. Now that I'm free from you, I'm _far_ stronger," he declared.

"Not strong enough," James warned him.

"Attack!" Snide ordered, and the fighting broke out on the ship.

"This better work," Jeremy muttered as he kicked a Spikeball backwards. With a strike, he tossed it into Wrench, who cried out as they toppled to the ground. "Hey," he knocked Snide away, and turned to Heckyl. "How much of this ship needs to stay functioning?" he asked.

"Uh, that panel, and maybe that machine," Heckyl gestured, confused by the strange question. "Why?" he asked, wondering how much destruction the Silver Ranger had planned.

"Cool," Jeremy grinned, stepping away from him. He flipped one the Vivix charging him, and a silver aura began to surround him. "Call to the beast inside! Unchain the wolf!" a loud howl echoed through the ship as his wolf spirit burst free from his body, and charged the monsters. With a snarl, it tackled the three Spikeballs surrounding James, crashing to the ground and tearing at them with powerful claws and teeth.

"Thanks Jeremy," James grinned to him, grabbing another Vivix that tried to slam into him. Using the monster's momentum, he rammed it into the wall, and swung it round like a weapon to hit another few that attacked him. Jeremy gave a thumbs up, and turned, kicking out as Wrench swung his axe at him.

"You'll pay for this!" Wrench declared, attacking him with another powerful swing. Jeremy dodged, grabbing his blaster and shooting Wrench in the back. The robot shrieked, falling forwards, but before Jeremy could fire another blast, he was swarmed by more Vivix.

"They're endless," Philip frowned as several Vivix grabbed him, only to be yanked away by the Wolf Spirit that tore through the room, ripping apart any monster in it's path.

"You might have defeated me the last time Heckyl, but this time you won't be so lucky!" Snide hissed as Heckyl barely dodged his sword, flinching when the blade caught his arm. "You needed the full Ranger team to destroy me," he reminded with a taunt, before Heckyl pushed out his hand and let the energy slam into Snide. The monster snarled in pain, his attack thrown off. He stumbled backwards, right into the wolf's path. With a howl, the silver wolf lashed out, its claws raking across Snide's back. He shrieked in pain, spinning around. The wolf leapt back nimbly, but Snide followed, managing to clip the spirit with his sword. Jeremy flinched, and was tackled out of the way of Wrench's blow by Kendall.

"You won't win this, Snide," Heckyl warned, a hand to his arm as blood stained through his already damaged jacket.

"I already have," Snide growled back. "Not only will I destroy you, but that boy will destroy the Rangers, including your sweet White Ranger," he gestured to the screen, as Ryan blasted the Rangers off their feet. Heckyl couldn't deny his worry, knowing that the rest of the Rangers were greatly outmatched by Ryan, but knew they had to stick to the plan.

"Not going to happen," Heckyl told him, turning away from the screen and letting his hand light up with blue energy. Snide let out a growl as the same blue light lit up around his sword. He fought Heckyl for it, but in his distraction, he forgot about the wolf, who rammed him against the side of the ship, crashing into the machines there.

"Controls dude," Jeremy reminded him as he stepped in. Heckyl hesitated as Snide struggled against the wolf, before nodding, knowing that he had something more important to do. Moving away, he went to the panel nearby, and Jeremy whistled. His wolf responded with a howl, leaping back to dodge Snide's attack, and continued attacking the Vivix and Spikeballs around the room. "Hey, wonder if this'll be like last time," the Silver Ranger smirked as he faced Snide.

"Not likely Ranger, the last time it was your other half who did all the work," Snide growled.

"Oh, don't go underestimating me," Jeremy smirked, putting a closed fist to his open palm. A silver aura surrounded him as his wolf howled louder, and his form seemed to change. Snide choked, stumbling back as the aura faded, leaving a creature that resembled Kerberos, only with silver fur, wearing Jeremy's clothes.

"What?" Philip stared, stunned as Jeremy fought Snide with much greater power, kicking him across the room and into a machine that burst into violent sparks.

"Aim carefully, I need some of these working," Heckyl warned him, recovering from the surprise quickly. Jeremy let out a barking laugh, and followed Snide as Kendall, James and Philip finished off the last of the footsoldiers and turned to face Wrench together.

"You won't defeat me!" he ran at them, axe raised, but three blasts of power, in purple, grey and light blue, connected with his chest and ripped through the metal. Wrench crashed to the ground, and didn't move; the blasts from their weapons having destroyed his circuitry.

"I don't think he'll be getting up after that," Kendall breathed heavily, and the other two nodded before the ship suddenly jerked.

"What have you done?!" Snide roared as the ship tipped. He was then kicked in the stomach by Jeremy, and hit the wall. He fell to the ground, and Jeremy stumbled, returning to normal in a flash of silver.

"Whoa, now I get what Minos meant about the Master Form having serious power," he laughed as James and Philip caught him.

"Come on, the ship is going to crash," Kendall reminded them, and they hurried back out, running through the ship. Alarms blared loudly, warning that the ship was on a collision course with the quarry below. They made it to the dock where they'd been able to connect the Plesio Zord.

"You're not escaping me!" they looked around, and Heckyl bit back a shout as Snide's sword plunged past where he'd been standing. Kendall shot him, and Snide dropped his sword but kept going, wrapping his hands around Jeremy's neck. The Silver Ranger let out a choke, too disorientated to fight him off as the ship jerked wildly, throwing them all off. "I'll kill-" Snide stopped abruptly when his sword stabbed through his chest, and his grip on Jeremy's throat immediately released as he fell with Heckyl to the ground.

"You guys okay?" James asked as he helped Jeremy up.

"Fine," he coughed, and Heckyl nodded as Philip helped him back to his feet.

"Let's go," Kendall told them, and they made their way back into the Zord as Sledge's ship hurtled towards the ground.

* * *

Shelby hit the ground hard, her Tricera Drill clattering away before disappearing as her Dino Steel power faded, along with the other Rangers.

"This is so old already," Ryan rolled his eyes, bored by the fight as each of the Rangers struggled to try and get up, exhausted by the fight. "I don't get why you don't just give up and go hide somewhere until this is all over," he shook his head.

"You should!" Tyler shouted, finally able to stand. "Your parents were Rangers too, you should know!" he told him angrily.

"He's right," Riley stood. "Power Rangers _never_ give up!" he declared.

"And we will not be the first," Ivan agreed as the rest got back up too. Ryan watched them, unable to admit that he was baffled at their refusal to give up despite him being far more powerful than him.

"Fine then. Let's switch it up," he decided, raising the Dark Energem to the sky. It shone, and there was a loud shriek as the Tupux Zord flew in.

"No..." Shelby breathed, tears in her eyes at the sight.

"Oh yes," Ryan laughed. "Fight me, if you can!" he challenged, leaping up into the Zord. It changed, forming a dark Megazord, and Tyler looked to his team.

"You guys ready?" he asked, and they nodded.

"Definitely," Teddie said, sounding more confident than she felt.

"Then let's go. Dino Charger, ready!"

"Summon Zords!" the Rangers summoned their Megazords, forming the Dino Charge Megazord and Ptera Charge Megazord.

"And now I'll crush you on a much larger scale!" Ryan declared, laughing loudly as he moved to fight them. The Ptera Charge Megazord blocked his strike with the Scelido shield, before shooting him with the Para Zord.

"Not this time," Tyler said, determined not to let the battle end the same way.

"Are you for real?" Ryan asked, incredulous. He couldn't understand them. "You're fighting me with the strength of eight Energems. I'm fighting with the power of twelve. Do the maths!" he yelled at them.

"You might have the power of twelve," Olivia shook her head.

"But only one person. We have team. Our tribe, our family," Koda told him. Ryan scoffed at his words. "That is why we don't give up," the Blue Ranger explained. "We stronger in heart!" he declared firmly.

"Heart?" Ryan repeated. "Don't make me _laugh_!" he threw a powerful punch that floored the Ptera Charge Megazord.

"Tricera Drill!" Shelby pushed back as he turned to strike them next. The counter attack shoved him back, and left him open for the Compo Zord's blade to rake down his front.

"Ptera Lightning Blitz!" Ryan let out a cry as the other Megazord blasted him as it got back up. The Tupux Charge Megazord crashed to the ground, smoking, and Ryan let out a ragged breath as he pushed it back up.

"You can't beat me, Rangers! Soon, I'll have your power, and this world will be gone!" he yelled, and dark power charged from the beak of the Megazord.

"Watch out!" Tyler yelled, and the darkness slammed into their Megazords. Right as it did, they were ejected, landing on the ground below.

"No!" Teddie cried out as they were forced to watch their Megazords start to explode as the darkness completely engulfed them. "No...our Zords...my Compy..."

"Tricera.." Shelby breathed, her hands to her mouth. The Megazords began to crumble, falling apart as the life faded from them.

"How could he do this?" Riley asked, his voice helpless as Teddie punched the ground, tears spilling down her face. Loving their misery, Ryan cackled, throwing his head back.

"I warned you, pathetic Rangers," he taunted them, before letting out a scream as several shots slammed into the back of the Tupux Megazord. "What?!" he whirled around as the Plesio and Titano Megazords faced him.

"Pachy Wrecking Ball!" not giving him a chance to wreck the same destruction on their own Zords, the Rangers attacked.

"Ankylo Hammer Punch!" Ryan yelled out as he was tossed around, barely remaining standing as the powerful attacks slammed into his Megazord.

"Sorry to have to do this," Jeremy sighed. "Titano Zord, Final Colossal Crush!" his Megazord swung the axe down.

"Plesio Blast, Final Strike!" the other three fired the powerful finishing strike, both slamming into the Tupux Megazord.

Ryan landed hard on the ground, groaning in pain as he saw the Tupux Zord struggle to fly away, back in it's true form as it smoked dangerously.

"Dammit," he pushed himself up, and looked up to see the twelve Rangers approach, standing together. "Why? Why do you keep fighting me?" he demanded an answer, still not understanding.

"That's what you don't understand," Teddie shook her head as she studied him. "The Dark Energem, it surrounds you in darkness and evil. The only emotions you have are negative, so you're missing the most powerful things of all that we have at our disposal," she explained.

"What could possibly be that powerful?!" Ryan yelled back, his fists clenched.

"Hope, and courage," Tyler told him honestly. Ryan stared, taken aback. "That's where our power comes from. That's why we keep getting back up every time," the Red Ranger said, and the others nodded.

"Hope...courage..." Ryan repeated, looking down. "That's what my...that's what mum and dad always said," he muttered, thinking about it. His fists then clenched. "Fine," he looked back up, and touched a hand to his chest, drawing the Dark Energem out. "Let's see if your wondrous light can survive the full power of the Dark Energem," he snarled at them, drawing on the full power.

"This is it guys," Tyler warned, and the Rangers repeated what Ryan had done, drawing their Energems free to call on their full power. "We can do this," he told them, and they nodded. Their Energems began to shine brightly, rising from their hands and hovering over them as they each began to glow in their respective colours.

Ryan let out a scream, and the dark power blazed from him and sped towards the Rangers, who threw out their own power. They collided in the middle, pushing on both sides but remaining a stalemate. The Rangers struggled, hoping that Chase's idea would pay off.

"You won't win, darkness will engulf you all!" he warned them.

"Wrong," his eyes widened as Ari, Heckyl and Keeper stood nearby. "Light will win," Ari told him, wearing her armour and holding up her sword.

"What are you doing?!" he snapped at them as Ari's sword began to glow.

"With the power of the sun! Shining Sun Attack!" she threw out golden light that slammed into the darkness that fought the power of the good Energems. Heckyl called on his own power, which joined their fight, and Keeper did the same with golden light from his staff.

"No! No, you can't do this!" Ryan wailed. "Nobody is stronger than me!" he screamed.

"We are!" Tyler told him, and the darkness gave in, allowing their attacks to hit Ryan. An explosion rocked out, throwing everyone down and creating a massive cloud of smoke.

Teddie felt her body trembling as she heard something clatter to the ground in front of her lightly, and found the White Energem lying beside her. She lifted it quickly, and found the light fading.

"Guys, our power," she looked up, and saw Chase healing Ari, whose head was bleeding from hitting the ground.

"It's gone," Tyler looked at his own.

"What about the Dark Energem?" Jeremy called, and they looked over to see Ryan lying on the ground, unconscious. Beside him, all that remained of the Dark Energem were shards scattered all around. "Ryan!" both Jeremy and Teddie ran over to him, crouching beside him.

"Is he okay?" Shelby asked as Tyler helped her up.

"He's breathing," Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief. "And the Dark Energem is..."

"Gone," Teddie smiled softly, and the Rangers cheered.

"We did it!" they laughed. Shelby threw her arms around Tyler, who kissed her, lifting her into the air with a laugh.

"Congratulations, all of you," Keeper smiled as Teddie got up, walking over to Heckyl. She smiled at him, and he reached out, wiping the tears from her face.

"Teddie, I-" Heckyl stopped as he suddenly pitched forwards, and Teddie barely caught him.

"Heckyl?" her eyes widened when she saw the blood staining his front. "You're hurt!" she sank to the ground with him as his head dropped forwards, landing on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" the others hurried over.

"Snide," they looked up at Jeremy as he put a hand to his throat. "He attacked us, I thought he'd missed Heckyl but..." he trailed off, seeing the blood pouring from the wound down his front. Teddie looked up at her brother and mum, but Chase was being supported by Olivia, and Ari still looked dazed.

"No..." Teddie's voice broke as tears started to run down her face again. " _No_!" she screamed, and light filled the area as everyone else was forced to shield their eyes.

"Uh...everyone's seeing Teddie glow, right?" Riley asked slowly.

"I'm not sure, I think she might have blinded me," Shelby rubbed her eyes as Teddie's eyes widened and she looked at her hands as they glowed brightly. It was unsteady, fading and resuming.

"I can glow?" she whispered, before her breath caught and she put her hand to the cut down Heckyl's chest. She felt her energy start to drain, and after a moment his head snapped up, his eyes wide and alert. Teddie slumped forwards, and this time he caught her.

"What happened?" he questioned as the others couldn't help but laugh.

"You scared the hell out of us," Shelby growled at him.

"Dude, next time you don't tell us you're hurt, I will kick your ass," Jeremy laughed, still kneeling beside Ryan. He blinked rapidly at them, surprised by their concern.

"Right, I-" he was cut off as Teddie's arms went around his neck and tugged him down into a searing kiss. He gladly obliged, sensing her relief as she held onto him.

"Okay, I'm starting to understand why Teddie keeps saying _gross_ ," Chase groaned, and Olivia laughed, kissing his cheek.

"You guys okay?" they looked up as Syd, Spencer and Kayden reached them. "We saw the Megazord fight," Syd told them, and they stopped when they saw the chaos.

"Let's get you all back to the base," Spencer told them, looking a little confused.

* * *

The air was light in the base as their disbelief was evident.

It was over. The battle was finally over. Sledge, Snide, everyone was defeated, and the Dark Energem had been destroyed.

"Excellent work Rangers, I can honestly say I have never been prouder," Keeper told them, his pride obvious as they all smiled.

"I agree. You guys all did incredible work," Ari nodded, leaning against Xander as he put his arm around her. "You should all be proud," she smiled, and Xander nodded.

"And the rest of the monsters running around town?" Arianna asked, cleaning a gash across James' cheekbone.

"All taken care of," Xander answered. "We made sure of it," he said as Mack put a hand on Tyler's shoulder, nodding as he smiled proudly at his son.

"Great work," he said, and Rose smiled, just as proud.

"Thanks dad," Tyler beamed at his father.

"And hey, he didn't nearly die doing it," Ari smirked at him. Mack rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"You make one little mistake-"

"One?" Ari, Rose and Tyzonn echoed. Mack blushed, sighing heavily.

"I said I was sorry," he muttered.

"And we forgave you," Rose kissed his cheek.

"But we like to bring it up now and again. We did have to follow you into a volcano," Ari grinned. Tyzonn laughed quietly, and bumped Ari's fist when she held it out.

"So what now?" Teddie's question immediately brought them back down. She held out her White Energem. "It's out of power. We used it all destroying the Dark Energem," She reminded them.

"Teddie is right," Koda nodded. "I no feel..." he struggled to find the right word.

"Bonded?" Olivia tried, looking at her own Energem. The dark green light of the Forest Energem was almost completely gone.

"I will take them, and complete the journey I began all those years ago. Without their power, I do not think they will cause much more trouble," Keeper told them, and the Rangers fell quiet, each looking to each other.

"Do not worry about that, Keeper," another voice spoke up, and everyone looked around as a woman in black and red robes materialised in a puff of smoke. She was young, with curled red hair that fell around her shoulders, and pale blue eyes. "I think they would be best returning with me, since their power isn't really gone," she commented with a smile.

"My lady!" Keeper gasped, kneeling before her.

"Rise, my Keeper," the lady gave a small laugh as she gestured to him.

"Uh, who are you?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow at the sudden arrival.

"Rangers, this is Lady Celebrian," Keeper explained to the group, who studied her curiously. She was very tall, and her skin pale, making her seem inhuman. "The one responsible for creating the Energems," their eyes widened at Keeper's introduction.

"You made the Energems?" Ivan asked her, shocked.

"Indeed, Sir Ivan," Celebrian nodded. He was taken aback, shocked that she knew his name. "Do not seem so surprised, the Energems have told me all about you," she chuckled, casting her gaze to the group. "Shelby, who stowed away and risked her life to save the Pink Energem," the Pink Ranger blushed. "Koda, who bonded to his Energem when protecting his brother," she nodded to Koda, who smiled. "Olivia, who would protect a stranger, and even the stubborn Prince, who took a while to understand the meaning of being a hero," Philip went red at her teasing smile.

"If you're responsible for the Energems," Jeremy spoke up, his arms folded. "Did you also make the Zords?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"No, that was an unexpected side effect," she admitted. "You see, except for the Tupux Zord you created, all of the Zords were in fact the dinosaurs that originally bonded to your Energems long ago," their eyes widened.

"You mean the Zords..."

"Are real dinosaurs?" James finished for Kendall, who looked stunned.

"Indeed. I was surprised myself that it happened," Celebrian admitted with a quiet chuckle.

"You said that the power wasn't really gone," Teddie accused, tilting her head. "What did you mean?" she asked.

"There is yet power in the Energems. Not much, but it remains," Celebrian told her, still smiling. "Thanks to your rather brilliant plan, the faintest amount of power was able to remain even when you destroyed the Dark Energem," she explained. "I will take them, and allow them to recharge. I am not sure how long that will take, but I'm sure they will recover their full power. Especially now that their negative counterpart is gone," she swept around, and bowed, a hand to her chest. "I thank you all, for your courage in not only protecting the Energems from those who would use them for evil, but for also destroying the bane of many a person. I have often regretted creating them, purely from the harm that befell many due to the Dark Energem," she admitted, turning to Heckyl. "I am deeply sorry for your people and your planet. It was never my intention for such evil to reign," she told him.

"It wasn't you. Lord Arcanon was responsible for that destruction," he told her, and she smiled softly at him.

"I knew you would make a valuable asset to the Rangers," she told him, making him frown. "The Dark Energem drowns everything in the darkness, making them crave the power. Which you saw in your friend Ryan. But you, and Jeremy," Celebrian angled her head to the Silver Ranger. "You had the strength to fight through it," she told them.

"We didn't do it alone," Jeremy shook his head. Celebrian's smile grew.

"No," she agreed. "Which is why I granted Teddie a powerful gift, to help understand the darkness," everyone looked to Teddie, who put a hand to her collar.

"You're why I started dreaming about the Dark Energem. About Heckyl and Jeremy, and Ryan," she accused.

"Indeed," the lady nodded. "When you were injured by the power of a being created by the Dark Energem, very little could have cured you. So I healed you, and left inside a small connection to the Dark Energem," she explained, approaching Teddie. "You have light in you, dear heart. And strength to handle the gift I gave you, but you no longer need it, since the Dark Energem is gone," she held up a hand, and the scars under Teddie's shirt began to glow dark blue before the light faded. The scars remained, tingling a little.

"Thank god. I knew I wasn't as weird as Spencer," Teddie sighed.

"Hey!" the Gold SPD Ranger frowned as the others started to laugh. Celebrian's smile grew, and she walked back over to Keeper, before raising a hand. The Energems all flew from their respective Rangers, glowing brightly for a moment before it faded.

"The power of the Energems will live inside you, but you are no longer bonded to them. You will age as normal, and you will no longer be able to Morph," the smiles faded as it sank in that it was really over.

They were no longer Power Rangers.

Celebrian bowed to the group again. "I thank you all. Power Rangers and your friends who have helped you along the way," she said, and Keeper bowed to them too.

"Without your help, I would never have recovered the Energems," he told them. "We owe you a great debt," Keeper told them seriously, and everyone managed small smiles. "Farewell," he stepped back to stand with Celebrian.

"Thank you for everything, Keeper," Kendall smiled, tears in her eyes. He nodded, and Celebrian smiled, before the two vanished in smoke, taking the Energems with them.

"It's over. Really over," James breathed, breaking the silence that had fallen.

"It'll take some time to accept it. But it'll happen," Ari smiled at them.

"Think I'll go to New Zealand, see Tanner and the Dunedin Kingdom again," Chase decided suddenly. "Oli, care to join me?" he twirled the girl, making her blink in surprise. She then smiled, in his arms.

"Of course," she agreed, pushing up on the balls of her feet to kiss him lightly.

"I can go see my mum and Matt again," Riley smiled. "And Rubik," he added, having missed his family a lot.

"Don't forget your date with Miko," Teddie sang, and his smile faded as he went bright red.

"I _knew_ it!" Shelby laughed.

"You're such a snitch," Riley groaned. "How'd you find out?" he demanded as Teddie smirked at him.

"I know all dude," she told him, before shrugging. "I heard you guys talking about it. I'm not deaf," Teddie admitted, and Riley glowered, his face burning as the others laughed.

* * *

Everyone was preparing to go their separate ways, accepting that they were no longer needed in Amber Beach. Shelby had decided to visit her dad, and discuss her future with the museum. Riley was heading back to his farm, and Chase and Olivia were going to New Zealand. Ivan had decided to visit Zandar, not having seen it for a long time. Arianna and Philip were going with him, with the two determined to stay together, despite what his family thought. Plus, he wanted to see how his kingdom was faring after the battle with the Greenzilla.

Tyler was going to go home with his family, to spend some time with his dad after so long apart. Mack had promised to spend some time with them before heading off on his next adventure, which James was already planning. Koda would be staying at the museum, and Kendall would obviously be there too, making the repairs to her museum as much of the city did the same, having been badly damaged from not only the Megazord fight, but the army of monsters.

"So what's the plan for you, JJ?" Teddie asked the now former Silver Ranger, curious.

"I think I'm gonna stick around with Ryan for a bit," Jeremy told her. "He's gonna need someone who understands, y'know?" he shrugged, and Teddie smiled.

"That's a good idea," she nodded.

"What about you?" Jeremy asked, but as Teddie went to answer, their attention was diverted as Heckyl stepped back from Xander and Spencer.

"I'm just asking if you've ever met a dragon before," Spencer smiled pleasantly at him, but the danger was obvious in his voice. "Did you know that pretty much our entire family are Rangers? Gramps and Grandma too," he said as Heckyl paled, not quite sure what to say to the pair.

"Don't forget Minos is Teddie's godfather," Xander added. "I hear you two met before," he smiled pleasantly.

"Dad!" Teddie frowned as she walked over.

"You geniuses aren't as intimidating without your Morphers," Ari called over, and they looked at her, frowning, not understanding her words, until they realised that both their Morphers were gone. Ari waved the two in the air.

"How?!" Spencer demanded.

"You still ask that?" Teddie snorted, and her brother frowned at her.

"Can I have it back? I need that for work," Spencer complained as he walked over to Ari, who was sitting back in her seat with a lazy smile.

"Find it and you can have it back," Ari's hands were now empty, and Spencer groaned.

"I always hated you doing this, mum, can't you just hand it over?" he complained.

"Spencer," Kendall held up the SPD Morpher, and Spencer sighed, walking over to her as Xander frowned at Heckyl, making it abundantly clear that he didn't like him, before stomping over to Ari.

"Remember Xander, Daggeron didn't like you either," she reminded him with a pleasant smile, handing back his Mystic Morpher.

"Don't start that, or I will tell you that you're turning into Althea," Xander grumbled, and she hit him lightly.

"Thanks," Spencer smiled as he took the Morpher from Kendall, his hand lingering on hers as she smiled. He then returned his Morpher to his side, and took her hand.

"Hold up, what?" Chase frowned, seeing the interaction.

"What?" Spencer tilted his head, looking innocent.

"Oh, I wonder where he got that from," Xander glanced to Ari, who blinked at him.

"What?" she asked innocently. The Green Ranger rolled his eyes.

"How long has that been going on?" Shelby demanded, as Kendall shrugged, trying to look casual, but both were blushing as the others started to giggle.

"You didn't know?" everyone looked at James in shock.

"You did?" Tyler asked.

"Philip and I both did," he nodded.

"What?!" there was a collective cry.

"We stumbled across it," Philip explained. "I was unaware that nobody else knew," he confessed.

"I've been calling her Kendall for a while," Spencer grinned. "I thought you guys might have caught on about why that was," he chuckled. Kendall's blush grew, but she nodded. Spencer then looked to her with a smile. "How about another date soon? I need to get back to New Tech since we're understaffed and Annie's on materni...damn," Spencer realised what he was saying.

"Annie's on what now?" Ari looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Annie's pregnant?" Teddie asked with a delighted smile. Kayden and Syd were laughing.

"Dude, she is gonna _kill_ you for that," Kayden laughed, sounding delighted. "I _knew_ you'd slip up first. Annie owes me money," he laughed as Spencer put his hand to his face.

"You're only saying that because it'll distract her from putting you on your ass every two seconds," Spencer complained.

"She does it to you almost as often," Syd reminded him with a smile.

"Not helping," Spencer scowled at her as Kayden howled with laughter.

"I'm sorry about them," Teddie sighed. "My family is...weird," she shrugged.

"I expected it," Heckyl shrugged. "We didn't really have the best start, did we?" he pointed out, making her smile as he took her hand. Xander glowered at Ari, who shrugged.

"Why does this family keep adopting the bad guys?" he complained with a groan. "Matoombo, Tyzonn-no offence mate," Xander glanced to the Mercurian, who smiled.

"None taken," he allowed.

"And Minos!" Xander finished, throwing his hands in the air.

"Relax, Xander. I've not been wrong so far," Ari stood, smiling at him. He sighed, unable to argue with her.

"I'm going to stay and help Jeremy with Ryan," Heckyl told Teddie as she laughed at the interaction. She smiled brightly at him. "Since I was under the influence of the Dark Energem for so long, Jeremy believes I might be of some help," he said.

"What about you Teddie?" Arianna called over, curious. "What have you planned?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm going to visit Summer Cove," Teddie answered. "That guy Galvanax is still pretty close to Earth, and I wanna know about what happened when he was last here," she explained.

"Careful Teddie," Chase grinned, his arms around Olivia. "You know mum going to new cities was how she kept becoming a Ranger," he teased, and Teddie rolled her eyes.

"Oh please Chase, I'm not that much like mum," she argued, leaning into Heckyl as Chase didn't look so convinced. Ari laughed quietly, glancing to Xander, who looked dubious.

"Famous last words," she whispered to him, making him grin.

* * *

 **And it's finally over! Dino Charge has been my favourite to write, tied with Mystic Force. It's been a lot of fun, and thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favourited/followed! You're all amazing.**

 **So while it is said that Teddie's on her way to Summer Cove (And Ninja Steel), I'm going to be writing RPM next. I already have the oneshot leading into it already written. RPM will be set in an alternate timeline.**

 **However, my updates are going to be a bit slower for the next while, as I plan on taking part in NaNoWriMo next month. I will try and get stuff done for RPM so I'm not entirely neglecting it, however I want an original novel to be my primary focus for then.**

 **There is a bit of time left before then, so if I get a bit of RPM written, I'll post the oneshot!**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoyed Dino Super Charge!**

 **Please review!**


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